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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27165269">The Favor</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CiMaebee/pseuds/CiMaebee'>CiMaebee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cute, F/M, Funny, Humor, Love, Original Character(s), Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Twins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:41:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>29,591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27165269</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CiMaebee/pseuds/CiMaebee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry Potter FanFiction | George Weasley/OC pairing</p><p>George Weasley has always been confident in his and his brother's ability to handle anything, so when they find themselves indebted to a new transfer student, he thinks nothing of it. One favor each, they could definitely handle that. Little did he know, that favor was about to shake all of his confidence in ways he never thought possible. And he couldn't be more excited.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>George Weasley/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Back to School</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing George Weasley and his brother Fred did after settling into their compartment on the Hogwarts Express for their sixth year, was go hunting for the trolley full of sweets. It was, in their opinion, the best part of the painfully long train ride to school every year. They never had enough money to get everything they wanted, but it didn't really bother them. George always went for the licorice wands, however many of them he could afford. They have always been his favorite.</p><p>It didn't take long to find the trolley, a small crowd of students around it. George was next in line, his brother behind him, when something caught his eye. On the other side of the trolley, were two very blonde heads of hair. One he recognized immediately as Draco Malfoy, but the other was unfamiliar. Long, blonde hair, the exact same shade as Malfoy's, was half covering a face of delicate features. For a moment, George thought he was seeing things. Malfoy didn't have a twin he had somehow never noticed all these years, did he?</p><p>"Get whatever you want," Malfoy said, sounding quite uninterested as he handed the girl a fistful of coins and walked off.</p><p>As the girl spoke, ordering a truly impressive amount of sweets, she caught George's stare. George blinked a couple times, staring into the eyes that were now looking directly into his own. Her hair may have been the same shade as Malfoy's, but her eyes were something else entirely. They were mostly a deep blue shade, but with wisps of white near the pupils, like ocean waves crashing on a beach of black sand. He couldn't look away.</p><p>She held his gaze until the lady working the trolley had handed her everything she asked for. Her arms were full of sweets, barely able to hand over the coins needed to pay for her items. She quietly thanked the lady before turning around to follow after Malfoy. George stood, staring after her, trying to remember if he had ever seen her before. When he didn't order right away, Fred pushed past him and ordered his chocolate frogs and peppermint toads.</p><p>"Who was that?" George asked.</p><p>Fred didn't even look back as he replied, "Who?"</p><p>"That girl."</p><p>Fred paid for his things and turned around to face him.</p><p>"What girl?"</p><p>George shook his head, realizing Fred hadn't even noticed. "Never mind."</p><p>Fred headed back while George ordered his licorice wands and paid for them. He headed back to join Fred and Lee in the compartment they shared. The rest of the train ride was spent in heavy conversation, talks about the upcoming year and ideas for new inventions. By the time the train had reached the station, George had all but forgotten about the mysterious blonde girl from the trolley.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>After settling into their seats at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, McGonagall began calling up the new first year students one by one to be sorted. While this was always exciting for the first years, it was significantly less so for George and as they always do, he and Fred were lost in a hushed conversation instead. Occasionally they'd catch a sideways glance from McGonagall and stop talking until she looked away again.</p><p>Fred was in the middle of explaining his idea for a prank involving a swamp when George just happened to glance up at the first years. Towering over the young kids was the girl he had seen on the train and she had his full attention the moment he caught sight of her. He couldn't imagine why she'd be standing with the first years. She was quite tall, probably only a few inches shorter than himself, and was clearly much too old to be a first year. In fact, as George really looked at her, he decided she was too old to be Malfoy's twin, either. She looked closer in age to himself than to Malfoy.</p><p>She looked bored, almost as uninterested in this whole ceremony as George usually is. George could hear his brother still talking beside him, but he wasn't paying much attention anymore. One by one, the first year students were called up and sorted until the only person left standing was this girl.</p><p>"Who's that?" Fred whispered in George's ear.</p><p>George just shrugged. The Great Hall was suddenly full of hushed mumblings, probably all wondering the same thing George was; who was this girl and why was she just standing there? Things suddenly went completely quiet and George looked up to see Dumbledore standing, his arms raised as a signal for everyone to quiet down.</p><p>"This year," Dumbledore begins. "We will be welcoming a new student, transferring from our friends at Estellacadre School of Magic. She will be joining the sixth year students," So he was right, she was around his age after all. "but first, she must be sorted into her house."</p><p>Dumbledore sat, as McGonagall called out the girl's name, "De Luca, Evelin."</p><p>De Luca. So she wasn't a Malfoy like George originally thought. Perhaps they weren't even related at all.</p><p>The girl walked up and sat on the stool, placing the hat on her head. The Great Hall filled with tense silence, everyone wondering who was getting a new addition. There was a pause, a long one. George had seen the hat take it's time before, but never like this. The girl seemed unfazed by the wait and George wondered if she was conversing with the hat, perhaps arguing over what house she would be in.</p><p>Finally, the hat made its decision. "SLYTHERIN!"</p><p>The girl hopped up, smiling brightly as she went to join the roaring Slytherin table. Considering he had seen her with Malfoy on the train, her choice of house didn't completely surprise him, but he was a little curious about her seating choice. Rather than joining people in her own year, she opted to take a seat next to an oddly cheerful looking Malfoy. They seemed to share a few words, perhaps a congratulations or something.</p><p>George couldn't help but wonder about their relationship. Were they related? Friends? Lovers? George shuddered at the thought of that last idea. He had a hard time picturing anyone dating Malfoy as it was, but to imagine someone who looked so similar to him was even worse. Whatever they were, they seemed to be fairly close. After all, Malfoy did pay for her sweets on the train and she seemed genuinely happy to be in the same house as him.</p><p>He was about to ask Fred his thoughts on the matter when Dumbledore stood up once again, quieting the students. He waited until everyone's attention was on him before he began to speak.</p><p>"Well, now we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Triwizard Tournament</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Well, now we’re all settled in and sorted, I’d like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year-” As Dumbledore spoke, the door to the great hall swung open and Filch came running in. Dumbledore continued, as if he didn’t notice. “but home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts has been chosen-”</p><p>Filch had reached Dumbledore at this point, interrupting his speech. They seemed to share a few hushed words that George couldn’t quite make out before Filch was running back towards the door. George shared a confused look with his brother before turning back to Dumbledore.</p><p>“So … Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event: The Triwizard Tournament.”</p><p>George’s head perked up, his attention now fully invested in the announcement. “Brilliant,” he and his brother muttered in unison.</p><p>“Now for those of you who do not know, The Triwizard Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests.  From each school, a single student is selected to compete. Now let me be clear. If chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, these contests are not for the faint-hearted. But more of that later.</p><p>“For now, please join me in welcoming the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic-” George’s head, along with everyone else’s, whipped to the entrance as the doors swung open. “And their headmistress, Madame Maxime.”</p><p>A group of girls, dressed in flowy, pastel blue dresses glided into the hall gracefully. The skipped down the aisle, pausing now and then to outstretch their hands towards the table with a gentle sigh. The girls were followed by an enormously tall woman, in a red gown with a fur collar. Dumbledore stepped down to greet the woman, kissing her hand as the whole hall cheered loudly, before hurrying back up the steps.</p><p>“And now our friends from the north. Please greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and their high master, Igor Karkaroff.”</p><p>The doors swing open once again to reveal a group of boys, dressed in deep burgundy brown outfits, some with big fur coats, some without. They carried staffs that they tapped on the ground, causing sparks. They set their staffs down, sprinted towards the front, and carried out a series of impressive flips. George and Fred both had gotten to their feet at this point to get a better look.</p><p>They turned back to look at the entrance as Viktor Krum, their little brother’s celebrity crush, came in followed by a bearded man in a white coat and fur hat. The bearded man walked up to Albus, greeting him warmly.</p><p>“Albus,” he said in a heavy accent, embracing him in a hug.</p><p>“Igor,” Dumbledore replied, returning the hug.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>The energy in the Great Hall as the feast began was buzzing with excitement. George was happily discussing the tournament with his brother, both of them determined to be a part of it. Lee thought they were both crazy, but that really was nothing new. George and his brother were definitely the wild ones, Lee was just always along for the ride.</p><p>After the majority of students seemed to be about finished with their meals, George’s attention was called to the doors once again. A group of men carried in a large, ornate tower and placed it on the platform in front of the professor’s table. Dumbledore walked up onto the platform, standing next to the object.</p><p>“Your attention, please!” he called and the hall got quiet almost instantly. “I’d like to say a few words … Eternal glory.” George’s heart raced at the thought of it and he was sure Fred felt the same. “That is what awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament. But to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks.”</p><p>And in unison, George and Fred breathed out, “Wicked.”</p><p>“For this reason,” he continued. “The Ministry has seen fit to impose a new rule. To explain all this, we have the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Mr. Bartemius Crouch.”</p><p>As he was introduced, Crouch began to walk towards Dumbledore. Before he could reach him, a bright flashing light and the loud roar of thunder stopped him in his tracks. George looked up to see the ceiling begin to fill with clouds and flashes of lightning. It crackled and rumbled before beginning to rain down on them. While George found this quite amusing, as did Fred, the rest of the hall clearly felt differently as many of the students cowered and screamed.</p><p>George just barely caught sight of the bright, twisting light coming from a wand, calming the ceiling instantly. As he wiped the water out of his eyes, he saw none other than the famous Mad Eye Moody standing behind the table at the front. He limped slowly around the table, leaning on his staff for support, all eyes on him. He approached Dumbledore, who met him at the base of the platform and offered his hand.</p><p>“Ah, my dear old friend,” Dumbledore said as Mad Eye took his hand. “Thanks for coming.”</p><p>Mad Eye mumbled something in response that George couldn’t quite make out before Dumbledore hurried back up the steps with Crouch in front of him. Crouch stood in front of the ornate object, looking a bit uncomfortable. He took a moment to look around and shake out his shoulders before speaking.</p><p>“After due consideration, the Ministry has concluded that, for their own safety, no student under the age of 17-” George and Fred immediately looked at each other, their eyes wide. They can’t be serious. They weren’t the only ones upset, you could already hear people muttering throughout the hall. “-shall be allowed to put forth their name for the Triwizard Tournament.”</p><p>The hall immediately erupted in anger.</p><p>“That’s rubbish!” George yelled out.</p><p>“Rubbish!” Fred hollered in agreement.</p><p>“You don’t know what you’re doing!”</p><p>Dumbledore was having none of it. “Silence!” he yelled out.</p><p>George groaned, sinking down into his seat. It was beyond rubbish. Fred and he were just shy of being 17. Hell, they’d be 17 before the tournament finishes, that should count, right? They would have to find a way around it.</p><p>Dumbledore lifted his wand at the object on stage, guiding it down the length slowly. The intricate metal workings seemed to melt away in sync with the movements of his wand, revealing a large goblet. As the goblet was fully revealed, a blue flame ignited within it, dancing above it.</p><p>“The Goblet of Fire. Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament, need only write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly. If chosen, there’s no turning back. As from this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun.”</p><p>All of the rules and warnings only made George more eager to enter. He left the Great Hall furiously discussing different options with Fred. They considered a few different ideas, from Polyjuice Potions, to simply having an older student put their names in for them. Eventually, they came to the agreement that an aging potion would be the best approach and spent the rest of their night plotting.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Deal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The deadline for entering the tournament was tomorrow night, and the aging potion still wasn’t ready. They had hit a small snag. George was the one who realized it, they need a particularly tricky ingredient; Dragon Claw Ooze. It wasn’t tricky because it’s rare, it’s fairly common in potion making, but the Hogwarts Apothecary Department did not carry it. The only Dragon Claw Ooze in the entire school would be found in Professor Snape’s personal supply of potion ingredients.</p>
<p>Professor Snape wasn’t particularly fond of any student that George had noticed, but he was especially not fond of George and Fred. Getting into his personal supply was going to be incredibly tricky, and they couldn’t agree on the best approach. Fred had originally suggested one of them should distract him while the other sneaks into his supply, but George was sure Snape wouldn’t fall for it.</p>
<p>As they sat in the back of the potions classroom, completely ignoring whatever potion they were supposed to be making, they continued debating their options. The classroom was full of quiet chatter as both the Gryffindor and Slytherin students discussed their potions, making it easy for their conversation to go unnoticed. It wasn’t until George suggested trying to sneak in while everyone ate lunch in the Great Hall that he realized they hadn’t gone completely unnoticed.</p>
<p>“Amateurs,” a quiet voice scoffed.</p>
<p>George turned around to look at where the voice had come from and was surprised to see the newest addition to the Slytherins, Evelin De Luca. Her partner appeared to have left her, standing at another table chatting away, but it seems she had already finished her potion anyway. She didn’t look up to meet George’s gaze, her focus on a book in front of her.</p>
<p>“What, you think you can do better?” Fred asked, his voice somehow entertained and a little offended at the same time. George could relate.</p>
<p>“I know I can,” she replied, still not bothering to look their way.</p>
<p>Before they could respond, Snape was dismissing the class. The students began gathering their things, chatting amongst themselves as they filed out the exit. Eve closed her book, tucking it away in her robes and grabbed the notebook in front of her. She waited for the other students to pass.</p>
<p>“I’ll meet you in the courtyard,” she said quietly as she walked past them.</p>
<p>They watched as she walked up to professor Snape, hearing her say she had a few questions for him. George looked at his brother quizzically, but just received a shrug as a response. They quickly gathered their things and made their way out of the classroom. A few students were hanging out in the courtyard, but George was able to find a quiet spot near one of the trees. Fred leaned up against the tree, smiling at George.</p>
<p>“You think she’ll actually pull it off?” he asked.</p>
<p>George plopped down in the grass, sitting cross legged. “Who knows.”</p>
<p>They were left waiting in the courtyard for at least twenty minutes before Fred perked up. A swift kick to the knee got George to his feet, turning to where Fred was pointing. Coming out of one of the entry ways was Evelin, books in hand. She made her way over to George and his brother and stood before them for a moment before pulling a small bottle full of dark yellow liquid out of her robes.</p>
<p>George reached to grab the bottle from her, but she quickly pulled her hand back with a mischievous smile on her lips.</p>
<p>“Ah, ah, ah,” she teased. “That’s not how the world works. You don’t get something for nothing.”</p>
<p>George and Fred looked at each other.</p>
<p>“Alright, fair enough,” George said with a shrug.</p>
<p>“And what is it you want, Evelin?” Fred asked.</p>
<p>Her lips curled slightly, as if she just smelled something foul. “First of all, don’t ever call me Evelin again. I go by Eve.”</p>
<p>They laughed, replying at the same time. “Done.”</p>
<p>“And … you each owe me a favor.”</p>
<p>“What kind of favor?” George asked curiously.</p>
<p>Eve thought about it for a moment, looking up slightly, before finally shrugging. “Don’t know yet. But whatever I want, one favor each. That’s my offer.”</p>
<p>Another shared look. George and his brother had a brief wordless conversation in this look, debating if it was worth it or not. It was.</p>
<p>“Deal,” they said in unison.</p>
<p>Eve smiled, handing George the bottle before turning on her heels to walk away. “Pleasure doing business, gentlemen,” she called over her shoulder before disappearing into the castle.</p>
<p>“She seems pretty cool,” Fred said with a laugh. “For a Slytherin, anyway.”</p>
<p>“Maybe,” George replied, shrugging his shoulders. “But I doubt it.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Old Man Weasley</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as their classes were done for the day, George and Fred hurried to the room with the Goblet of Fire, potions in hand. They had been able to finish up the potions this morning before classes, but hadn’t had a chance to test it out. George was confident, as was Fred. </p><p>This was going to work.</p>
<p>“Yes!” they shouted as they came running into the room.</p>
<p>All the other students applauded and cheered. George hopped up on the bleachers where some of the students were sitting, high fiving people as he passed by, Fred following closely behind him.</p>
<p>“Well, lads, we’ve done it!” Fred said proudly.</p>
<p>“Cooked it up just this morning!” George added.</p>
<p>A sing-song voice interrupted they’re celebration. “It’s not going to work.”</p>
<p>George walked over to where Hermione Granger was sitting, book in her lap. He knelt down on one side of her so he was at her eye level while Fred did the same on her other side.</p>
<p>“Oh yeah?” Fred started.</p>
<p>“And why’s that, Granger?” George asked.</p>
<p>“You see this?” Hermione pointed at the glowing line circling the goblet. “This is an Age Line. Dumbledore drew it himself.”</p>
<p>George rolled his eyes. “So?” his brother asked.</p>
<p>“So!” Hermione said, scoffing at them. “A genius like Dumbledore couldn’t possibly be fooled by a dodge as pathetically dimwitted as an Aging Potion.”</p>
<p>“Ah, but that’s why it’s so brilliant,” Fred said with a smile.</p>
<p>“‘Cause it’s so pathetically dimwitted.”</p>
<p>George and Fred share a laugh as Hermione shakes her head at them. They stand up on the bleacher, shaking up their potions.</p>
<p>“Ready, Fred?”</p>
<p>“Ready, George!”</p>
<p>George and his brother link arms.</p>
<p>“Bottoms up,” they say together and throw back the potion.</p>
<p>After downing the liquid, they hop off the bleacher, into the Age Line circle. There’s a brief pause as they checked to see if anything would happen, before they are confident they’re fine. George laughs as everyone celebrates their apparent victory. They take a moment to revel in the energy of the students around them, cheering them on. George and Fred stand before the goblet, slips of papers containing their names in hand.</p>
<p>“Ready?” Fred asks.</p>
<p>George gives him a nod, and they smugly toss their names into the fire. There’s a moment of silence before they celebrate, giving each other a high five as everyone begins to cheer again. Suddenly, the flames grow bigger and flash across the room. George looks at the goblet in confusion just before he gets tossed out of the circle. He hit the ground hard and sat up with a groan.</p>
<p>As he looked at Fred beside him, he saw frizzy white hair and a bushy beard. George’s eyes went wide as he frantically checked his own face. To his dismay, he could feel a large beard on his own face as well. He looked at Fred, narrowing his eyes at him.</p>
<p>“You said…”</p>
<p>“You said!” Fred yelled back.</p>
<p>Fred lunged at George before he had a chance to respond. Fred got a good shot in, catching George in his jaw. He was going to feel that one later.</p>
<p>“Alright, you want a piece of me?” George grumbled, as he struggled to get the upper hand.</p>
<p>He managed to get on top of Fred, straddling him with his hands clutching at his robes. “Get off, or I’ll tear your ears off! We’re old school, eh?”</p>
<p>Fred tumbled over, putting George back on the ground. George couldn’t help but laugh as he saw his brother hovering over him. “Yeah, but you look older!”</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>George and his brother walked through the halls, headed back to their common room, discussing how long the effects would last. George couldn’t stop stroking his new beard. He found it amusing, and joked that he may have to consider growing one out for real, which Fred insisted he’d love to see. As George rounded a corner, he nearly bumped into someone who’s head was buried in a book.</p>
<p>George stopped just in time. It was Eve, she seemed a little startled as she looked up at him, but this quickly turned into a look of confusion. George said nothing as Eve stared at him, blinking a few times as her eyes darted between George and his brother. Then she laughed.
</p><p>“Like I said,” she said teasingly, leaning close to George. “Amateurs.” She gave them both a smile before squeezing between them and continuing down the hall.</p>
<p>“I’ve changed my mind,” Fred said as he watched her retreating figure. “She’s just as irritating as all Slytherins.”</p>
<p>“Told you.” George paused, titling his head. “Though, I must admit, it is pretty impressive she recognized us.”</p>
<p>George and Fred looked at each other, reminding themselves of their current state. While there were still some similarities in their facial features, the grey beard and wrinkly skin made a convincing disguise. George hardly recognized his own twin, but someone Eve seemed to know just who they were underneath their aging faces. He couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Champions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By the next morning, the effects of the age line had completely worn off and George was back to his old, or rather, young self. The school was buzzing with excitement about the announcing of the students who would be competing in the tournament. Tonight, after dinner in the Great Hall, the competitors would be chosen, but first, they had to make it through their classes of the day.</p>
<p>The day seemed to drag on even more than usual for most students, George included. Even Fred, who was normally the more energetic and optimistic of the two, seemed exasperated by the time lunch finally rolled around. After scarfing down some food from the hall, George and his brother headed out to the courtyard to meet up with Lee.</p>
<p>They find Lee sitting with Angelina and Jane, also Gryffindors, in a shaded area of the grass. As they’re sitting together, everyone on edge about the announcements later, George couldn’t help but catch sight of Eve leaned up against a tree. As seemed to be her usual state, her head was buried in another book, but she seemed to be multitasking. Sitting beside her was Malfoy, and despite her eyes being focused on her book, they seemed to be deep in conversation together.</p>
<p>“Wow, she really follows him around everywhere, huh?” George looked over at his brother to find he was also staring.</p>
<p>“Well they are cousins,” Lee said with a shrug.</p>
<p>“Really?” George asked, unable to keep the genuine interest out of his tone. Fred seemed to notice, and gave him a funny look, but he was the only one.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s what Paul said.” Paul was one of Lee’s friends, a sixth year Slytherin. George had really only met him once or twice. “Apparently she’s living with them now, that’s why she had to transfer here.”</p>
<p>George looked back over at Eve, trying to imagine her sitting at a table with the Malfoys. Somehow the image felt wrong to him and he struggled to really picture it. George hadn’t had many interactions with Malfoy’s mum, but he had met his father a few too many times and couldn’t imagine what living with him would be like or why anyone would voluntarily do it.</p>
<p>Then again, maybe it wasn’t voluntary. The only person George knew who lived with their aunt and uncle was his little brother’s best friend, Harry Potter, and it was only because his parents are dead. Were Eve’s parents dead, too? Either way, it probably was not an ideal situation. From what he’s seen, the Dursleys weren’t fond of Harry’s presence and George wondered if the Malfoys felt the same way about Eve’s.</p>
<p>“Why’s she living with them?”</p>
<p>Lee just shrugged, seeming to be quite uninterested in this conversation. George dropped it after that, letting Lee get back to attempting to guess who the competitors would be with Angelina. While the conversation may have changed subjects, his mind was still on Eve, and he kept stealing glances in her direction the rest of the time.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>Time seemed to move a little quicker after that for George, his mind occupied with theories and imaginings of Eve’s life with the Malfoys. Clearly, time was not as kind to Fred and he spent the entire charms class in a foul mood, trying to count down to its end. George was suddenly grateful Fred was rarely in such a foul mood, as he was quite unpleasant to be around. Both of them seemed relieved when they were finally dismissed.</p>
<p>Fred’s mood changed instantly, back to his excitable self, asking George who he thought was going to be picked. George didn’t have an answer, much to Fred’s annoyance, as he really hadn’t given it any thought. His mind had been preoccupied most of the day, but he wasn’t about to admit that to anyone. Hell, he was hardly willing to admit it to himself.</p>
<p>George had no idea why he was so utterly fascinated by the idea of the new Malfoy family dynamic, but he just couldn’t seem to let it go. Perhaps it was simply the fact that it was such a challenge to imagine it, and George certainly loved a good challenge. He was beginning to feel like trying to imagine Eve in the Malfoy family was like trying to shove that final puzzle piece into place without realizing the piece you’re trying to make fit isn’t even from the same puzzle.</p>
<p>As they entered the Great Hall, George did his best to put these thoughts aside. While they were fascinating, George was genuinely excited for the announcement of the competitors and found it fairly easy to join in the conversations over dinner. It was all anyone was talking about. Everyone seemed to eat a little quicker that night, in hopes of speeding to the announcements.</p>
<p>Once everyone seemed to be finished with their meals, the tables were cleared of food and the head table where the professors sat was removed. Students began chatting amongst themselves and wandering around, visiting others, while everything was being set up. The Goblet of Fire was brought in and set towards the front of the hall. It took longer than any of them would have liked for things to begin.</p>
<p>“Sit down, please,” Dumbledore said as he walked to the center of the room where the Goblet of Fire was burning away. All the students took their seats and began to quiet down. “Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the champion selection.”</p>
<p>George was on the edge of his seat as Dumbledore approached the goblet, gently placing his hands on either side of it. Dumbledore took a step back, his hand outstretched toward the goblet. The blue flames turn red suddenly and spit out a small piece of paper that Dumbledore catches gracefully. He carefully turns the charred paper over to read the name written on it.</p>
<p>“The Durmstrang champion is Viktor Krum.”</p>
<p>A roar of cheers erupts from the Durmstrang boys as Krum stands up and walks towards Dumbledore. Krum and Dumbledore shake hands before Dumbledore motions for Krum to go stand up the steps, by the professors. Only a fraction of a second later, the flames were turning red again, spitting out another name which Dumbledore easily catches.</p>
<p>“The champion for Beauxbatons…” He paused, seemingly having trouble reading the name. “Is Fleur Delacour.”</p>
<p>Cheers erupted from the girls of Beauxbatons as Fluer stood. She walked to Dumbledore and shook his hand before joining Krum. One last flash of red, and the goblet spit out the final name. The one George had really been waiting for, the Hogwarts champion.</p>
<p>“The Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory!”</p>
<p>The entire Great Hall erupted in cheers, George included. While the Hufflepuffs were clearly the most excited, the truth was that Cedric wasn’t just representing his house, but the school as a whole. Everyone seemed to share in that excitement, no matter what house they were in. Cedric followed the others, shaking Dumbledore’s hand before standing beside them.</p>
<p>“Excellent!” Dumbledore cried. “We now have our three champions. But in the end, only one will go down in history. Only one will hoist this chalice of champions.” As Dumbledore spoke, Crouch came in, carrying something covered with a cloth. “This vessel of victory… the Triwizard Cup!”</p>
<p>Dumbledore pointed at the object and the cloth came flying off to reveal an intricate chalice, glowing brightly. The hall erupted in cheers once again at the sight of it. The cheers began to fade as Dumbledore suddenly turned around to look at the Goblet of Fire again. The flames were twirling and cackling, before turning red once again, brighter than before. It almost hurt to look at it, George had to squint just to watch. The red flames shot up in the air, spitting out a fourth piece of paper. The Great Hall is completely silent as everyone stares at the paper slowly floating down into Dumbledore’s hands.</p>
<p>Dumbledore seemed to mutter a name, but George couldn’t quite hear it. At least, not until he repeated it. “Harry Potter?”</p>
<p>All eyes immediately turn to Harry, except for George and Fred, who look at each other instead, eyes wide. The first thought that went through George’s head was how the hell and the second was what the hell. If he didn’t know Harry so well, he would’ve thought he had outsmarted him and his brother and found some way around the age line.</p>
<p>But he did know Harry well. Well enough to know he had been pretty adamant about not wanting anything to do with the tournament, even if he had been old enough. Fred seemed to share the same confusion. When George finally looked over at Harry, his discomfort was clear as he tried to sink back down into his seat. As if that would help.</p>
<p>“Harry Potter!” Dumbledore shouted when there was no response.</p>
<p>With a little push from Hermione, Harry finally stood up and slowly walked to Dumbledore. Instead of a handshake, Dumbledore simply handed Harry the charred piece of paper with his name on it. Harry took it and slowly walked to the front, followed by a surplus of dirty looks and angry mutterings.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>George and Fred left the hall in silence. Many of the students were still muttering angrily about Harry being chosen, but no one had any clue what really happened. George didn’t bother discussing it with Fred, knowing he didn’t have any better understanding of what just happened than he did. As George was trying to file through all the students, he ended up bumping shoulders with someone. He was about to apologize, when he realized who it was.</p>
<p>“Watch where you’re going, Weasley!” Draco spat.</p>
<p>Before George could process a response, a witty comeback he was sure, Draco was smacked in the back of a head by a book. As Draco yelped in pain, George realized it was in fact Eve who had hit him, and it took everything in him not to bust out laughing at the sight of it. Draco was rubbing the back of his head, glaring at Eve, who had already returned to reading the book she had just used as a weapon.</p>
<p>“What the bloody hell was that for?!” Draco asked angrily.</p>
<p>Eve rolled her eyes and began walking away as she replied, “Don’t be such a baby, I barely touched you.”</p>
<p>Draco shot one last glare in George’s direction before taking off after Eve. Fred gave George a very confused look, but George just chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. He still had no idea how that family dynamic worked, or what Eve’s relationship with Malfoy was really like, but the more interactions he had with her, the harder it became to imagine.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The First Favor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first task of the tournament was rapidly approaching, only a few days away. George and his brother had already decided they would be taking bets. Word spread quickly and they had already started receiving from bets. Krum seemed to be the favorite for the first task, followed by Cedric, then Fleur, and finally, Harry. Actually, no one had really bet on Harry yet.</p>
<p>George and Fred were deep in conversation about the bets, having just left Charms class on their way to the Great Hall for lunch, when Eve suddenly appeared in front of them. George couldn’t help but notice that this was probably the first time he had seen her without a book in her hands. She smiled, her eyes jumping between the two of them.</p>
<p>“I’m here to collect on a favor,” she cooed. “Who’s up first?”</p>
<p>George immediately pointed at Fred, saying “He is,” only to realize Fred had done exactly the same thing to him.</p>
<p>Eve’s smile grew, a little glint in her eyes as she looked between the two of them. She seemed to be debating who to pick for a moment, before she finally pointed to Fred.</p>
<p>“You, come with me,” she said. Eve turned to me. “Don’t worry, I promise to bring him back in one piece.” </p>
<p>The smirk she flashed me made me question the truth of that promise. She didn’t even wait for a response before turning around and walking away. Fred looked to me, his eyes pleading for help. I just laughed, shaking my head. I was not about to get in between Evelin De Luca and whatever it was she wanted. Besides, they had made a deal, and the Weasley twins always kept their deals.</p>
<p>“I haven’t got all day,” Eve called back. Fred groaned, and took off after her.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>George kept watching the doors during lunch, waiting for Fred to return. He didn’t. Before George knew it, it was time to head to their next class, and Fred still wasn’t back. He was a little worried about what Eve was having him do, especially if it took all of lunch, but mostly he was just worried about how foul a mood Fred would be in when he finally got back. All afternoon with a Slytherin, doing god knows what, and no lunch on top of that would surely put him more than a little on edge.</p>
<p>George headed to their next class, potions with the Slytherins, half expecting Eve and Fred to be there. He took his usual spot towards the back and kept an eye on the door of students filing in. Nothing. Before he knew it, Snape was shutting the doors with a wave of his wand and starting his lesson, his brother and Eve still missing. Snape didn’t seem to notice, or didn’t care, George wasn’t sure which.</p>
<p>A few minutes later, the door opened slowly and Eve came walking in, Fred trailing behind her. Snape glanced at them, but didn’t say anything, which George found a bit odd. Eve sat in her seat across from George, and Fred took his seat next to him. George looked his brother up and down. He looked a mess.</p>
<p>Lee, who was sitting in front of them, glanced back. He had to do a double take when he saw Fred. He was a little sweaty, hair more of a mess than usual, his uniform a little disheveled, and smudges of dirt on his hands and face. Lee laughed a little as he turned back to the front of the class, Fred glaring daggers at his back.</p>
<p>“What the hell happened to you?” George asked in a hushed voice.</p>
<p>Fred just gave him a look, almost a glare but not quite and then turned his attention back to Snape. He was definitely in a foul mood, and did not seem to want to talk about it currently. George glanced over at Eve, who, as always, had her attention on a book rather than the class. She didn’t look a mess at all. Her long hair was almost inhumanly smooth, as it always was, her uniform in perfect order, and not a speck of sweat or dust anywhere George could see. Whatever they had been up to, Fred must have been doing all the dirty work.</p>
<p>Class dragged on after that, Fred’s foul mood making potions even more annoying than it usually was. George did most of the work on their potions, letting Fred spend his time sulking, occasionally muttering to himself as he tried to rub off the dirt on his hands. As soon as class was dismissed, Fred was on his feet and out to door before anyone else.</p>
<p>George hurried to gather his things and ran to catch up with his brother, Lee hot on his heels. They caught up to Fred just in time to see him disappear into one of the bathrooms. When they walked in, Fred was vigorously scrubbing his face in the sinks. George couldn’t help but laugh, earning himself a cold stare from his brother.</p>
<p>“That bad?”</p>
<p>“What did I miss?” Lee asked, trying not to laugh.</p>
<p>George leaned closer to Lee and quietly said, “The favor.”</p>
<p>“Ohhh,” Lee said, no longer able to hide his laughter. “Damn, she really put you to use, huh? So what’d she have you do?” </p>
<p>Fred groaned, leaning up against the sink. “I don’t even know, man. She had this box full of burnt stuff and me sorting through looking for, and I quote, ‘anything that seems odd.’”</p>
<p>“Odd, how?” George asked.</p>
<p>“I honestly have no idea. I asked her that and she told me no questions. It was basically just a pile of ash!” Fred stared at his hands for a moment before bringing them to his face and taking a deep breath. “I’m gonna smell like soot for days,” he whined.</p>
<p>George and Lee couldn’t help but laugh.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Second Favor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since its inception.”</p>
<p>George was leaned up against the wall, arms folded across his chest. He was currently in a room with his fellow Gryffindors. McGonagall had just announced the Yule Ball and everyone in their fourth year and up were required to be here for, well, for whatever this was. Fred seemed a bit more enthusiastic about the ball than George was, but even George had to admit it was pretty intriguing.</p>
<p>“On Christmas Eve night,” McGonagall continued. “We and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity. As representatives of the host school, I expect each and every one of you to put your best foot forward. And I mean this literally, because the Yule Ball is first and foremost, a dance.”</p>
<p>There was an immediate response to the word dance in the room. One side of the room, where the Gryffindor girls sat, was full of excited whispers, while the other side, where the boys were, filled with groans. Fred. on the other hand, gave George an excited raise of his eyebrows. George stifled a laugh. Leave it to Fred to be the only boy in the room excited about a dance.</p>
<p>“The House of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizard world for nearly 10 centuries. I will not have you, in the course of a single evening, besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons,” McGonagall warned.</p>
<p>Fred leaned over and whispered to George, “Try saying that five times, huh?”</p>
<p>“Babbling, bumbling, band of baboons,” George replied.</p>
<p>“Babbling, bumbling, band of baboons,” Fred repeated.</p>
<p>They went back and forth, getting a little quicker each time they said it, ignoring whatever McGonagall was on about now. It wasn’t until they heard their name that they looked up.</p>
<p>“Mr. Weasley,” McGonagall had said.</p>
<p>While George and Fred both reacted to their name, George quickly realized McGonagall wasn’t speaking to them. She was looking directly at Ron. As she walks towards him, George and Fred share an excited look. George wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but he knew it was going to be good.</p>
<p>“Yes?” George’s younger brother choked out.</p>
<p>“Will you join me, please?”</p>
<p>Ron stood up slowly and McGonagall led him to the center of the room. George was struggling to stifle his laughter, and beside him Fred was coughing in a poor attempt to hide his. Ron shot a glare in their direction, but McGonagall quickly brought his attention back to her.</p>
<p>“Now, place your right hand on my waist,” she said as she placed her hand on Ron’s shoulder.</p>
<p>Ron seemed panicked. “Where?” he asked, his voice cracking slightly.</p>
<p>“My waist,” McGonagall repeated.</p>
<p>Ron hesitated, so McGonagall grabbed his hand and placed it on her waist for him. George couldn’t resist and let out a loud wolf whistle, which nearly caused Fred to lose his composure completely. Ron’s hand immediately came off of McGonagall’s waist, but she quickly grabbed it and put it back in place.</p>
<p>“Extended your arm,” she instructed. “Mr. Filch, if you please?”</p>
<p>A soft tune begins to play and McGonagall begins counting Ron in. They dance to the music and both George and Fred have just about lost it at this point. George begins humming along with the music as him and Fred sway along.</p>
<p>“Oi!” Harry calls to them quietly. George and Fred leaned down close to him. “Never gonna let him forget this, are you?”</p>
<p>“Never,” they respond in unison.</p>
<p>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>They spent the next hour or so being subjected to McGonagall’s dance lessons. Fred paired up with their friend Angelina, while George ended up dancing with Jane, another friend of theirs as well. Fred seemed to have a grand time with Angelina, while George’s attention was mostly on continuing to give his little brother a hard time.</p>
<p>After their little dance class, George, Fred, and Lee walked together through the halls, discussing the upcoming ball. It was still a ways away, giving them plenty of time to prepare. As they were walking, George heard a familiar voice calling out.</p>
<p>“Hey!” The three of them turned to see Eve walking towards them rather quickly. “Which one of you still owes me a favor?”</p>
<p>Before George could even process her question, Fred pointed at him. “Him!”</p>
<p>George was expecting a conversation or to be whisked away like Fred was, but Eve didn’t even pause as she approached them. She walked right up to George and grabbed the back of his neck, pulling his face down to hers. Before George knew what was happening, Eve’s lips were pressed up against his, her arms wrapping around his neck.</p>
<p>George’s mind went blank, his eyes wide open, staring at Eve’s eyelids. He struggled to understand everything happening, his head spinning. Eve was kissing him. She was kissing him. Well, sort of. Her lips didn’t move at all, just pressed against his firmly. He didn’t move either, his arms still flat at his side, his mouth perfectly still, he wasn’t even blinking.</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure how long they stood like that before she pulled back, her blue eyes staring at him, arms still firmly wrapped around his neck.</p>
<p>“Is he gone?”</p>
<p>George couldn’t respond. He opened his mouth a couple times in an attempt to say something, anything, but nothing came out. All he could do was stare back at her. Those eyes felt like they were burning through him, seeing into the deepest depths of his soul. They felt endless, as if he was staring into a hole so deep he couldn’t quite see the bottom.</p>
<p>When it became clear he was incapable of forming a response, Fred leaned closer to Eve and asked, “Is who gone?”</p>
<p>Eve didn’t look at him, keeping her eyes fixated on George. “The greasy haired Slytherin boy who was following me.”</p>
<p>Fred glanced down the hall. “Don’t see anyone.”</p>
<p>“Good,” Eve said with a smile as she finally unwrapped her arms and looked away from George, almost breaking whatever spell he was under. Almost. “Well, both of your debts have been paid, you’re free.”</p>
<p>Eve began walking away, and George finally remembered how to form a sentence. “What the bloody hell was that?” he half yelled at her.</p>
<p>Eve turned back around, that little mischievous smile curling her lips. The lips that had just been against his only moments ago. “I’m assuming you guys have heard about the ball, now, yes?” George nodded. “That boy following me is Davis Freedman, and I overheard him telling his friends he was planning on asking me to the ball. I just really don’t want to deal with that, you know? I’ve been dodging him since we left class, but then I spotted you guys and I saw my out. Now, he’s going to run and tell all the other little Slytherins that I am a traitor who kisses Gryffindors. And a Weasley no less! None of the Slytherin boys will want anything to do with me anymore.” Eve paused, tilting her head. “It’s actually quite brilliant, don’t you think?”</p>
<p>George was once again, at a loss for words, trying to process everything she had just said. So, Fred’s favor was to sort through a bunch of ash, and George’s was to kiss her? So she could scare off the Slytherins? George found the whole thing a bit confusing, but Lee and Fred clearly found it more funny than anything.</p>
<p>“That will probably do the trick,” Fred said with a laugh.</p>
<p>Eve flashed Fred a smile before taking off down the hall.</p>
<p>“Now I feel kind of bad for whining so much about my favor,” Fred said, patting George on the back. “I mean, at least I didn’t have to kiss her!”</p>
<p>George watched his brother sharing another laugh with Lee. “Yeah, luck you,” he replied quietly, bringing his fingers to his lips and tracing along them lightly. They still tingled where they had touched Eve’s lips. He glanced back, catching sight of her back just before she disappeared around a corner.</p>
<p>Every fiber in George’s being felt different. His blood felt like fire pulsing through his veins, it was exhilarating. He couldn’t shake that feeling, similar to the adrenaline rush he would get when Fred and he did something crazy, but magnified tenfold. It was somehow familiar and new all at once. The rest of the day went by in a haze for George, but luckily, no one seemed to notice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Scratching an Itch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, George still hadn’t regained focus. The early hours went by in the same haze as the previous day’s afternoon had. All George could think about was that kiss and it was starting to make him a little crazy. It wasn’t even a real kiss. That was part of the problem. He couldn’t stop imagining what a real kiss with Eve would be like, their lips moving together in sync, her mouth parting just enough so he could slip his ton-</p>
<p>“George!”</p>
<p>The classroom came flooding back into view at the sound of his name. George shook his head, realizing the room was empty. Fred was standing beside the desk, staring at him, his expression a mix of confusion and amusement. George frantically grabbed his things and stood up, following Fred out of the room.</p>
<p>As they headed to their next class, Fred asked George at least three different times if he was okay. George kept insisting he was fine, but he wasn’t sure Fred really believed him. He was grateful when they finally made it to potions, forcing Fred to drop the matter. At least for now. One issue was temporarily resolved, but there was still another issue with this class and she just walked through the door.</p>
<p>Eve took her seat and George was having a hard time not looking at her as class started. At some point, he gave up completely and allowed himself to stare at her. She didn’t seem to be paying attention to Professor Snape, her eyes moving along the lines of the book in her hands. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, the first time George had seen it up. Even when worn up, it still reached down the length of her back, just above her hips.</p>
<p>Her lips were parted slightly, her breathing slow and steady. Her expression didn’t really give anything away. Whatever she was reading, her face would give no hints of it’s contents. George was watching her closely when he saw her eyebrows pull together, as if she was confused. She looked up, staring towards the front of a class for a moment, before she suddenly looked over, her gaze meeting George’s.</p>
<p>George only saw her eyes for a split second before she quickly turned back to her book. Was she blushing? It was hard to tell, especially when she tilted her head to the side, her ponytail now covering most of her face, but George could have sworn he had seen her cheeks flush a light pink color when she had caught him staring.</p>
<p>The idea of her blushing at his gaze was thrilling. George looked away, staring down at his desk, desperately trying to keep his mind from going wild. That adrenaline rush was back with a vengeance, twisting in the pit of his stomach and catching his breath in his throat. He knew then that he needed to know if that kiss had left her feeling the same way or he was going to lose his mind. He decided right then and there he was going to do something about this, he just hadn’t decided what yet.</p>
<p>George didn’t even know what they covered in potions that day, he spent the entire time trying to come up with a plan. He didn’t get very far, however. He had no idea how to approach this and he hated it. It was like an itch in the middle of your back that you just can’t figure out how to reach. By the time Snape dismissed them, he was thoroughly frustrated.</p>
<p>George followed Fred out of the classroom, Lee running to catch up with them. They had started down one corridor with most of the other students, when he glanced back to see Eve turn down another corridor alone. That was it, that was his opening. And he wasn’t about to let it pass him by.</p>
<p>“I’m gonna hit the bathrooms,” George mumbled out, practically running after Eve.</p>
<p>He vaguely heard Fred calling after him that the bathrooms were the other way, but he ignored it and was out of sight before Fred could question it too much. As he turned the corner, Eve’s head whipped around to look at him. He was right, they were alone in the corridor. A quick glimpse of confusion flashed across Eve’s face before she composed herself. She turned to face George, her arms holding her book against her chest.</p>
<p>In that moment, George realized just how controlled she was over her expressions. She didn’t show anything to anyone that she didn’t want them to know, but for some reason, that talent of hers occasionally faltered around him. Maybe he was reading too much into it, but he loved the idea that he could have that kind of an effect on her.</p>
<p>“Can I help you?” she asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.</p>
<p>The adrenaline rush was back, and this time George gave into it completely. He stared at Eve for a moment, before taking a step towards her, putting both of his hands on the wall behind her. This forced Eve to take a step back, now completely trapped between George and the wall, his arms on either side of her. Eve’s eyes widened slightly and she took a sharp breath in. Yeah, he definitely liked that.</p>
<p>“Just wondering if I’m the only one still thinking about that kiss,” George said as he leaned closer, their faces just inches apart, close enough for him to feel her warm breath heating his skin.</p>
<p>Eve scoffed, rolling her eyes. “That’s what this is about? You can hardly call that a kiss, you didn’t even do an-”</p>
<p>Before she could finish her thought, George pushed his lips up against hers. For a moment, nothing happened. They just stood, lips pressing against each other. But then he heard her book hit the floor. Eve’s hands had found their way to his chest, and her lips parted slightly, moving in a rhythm he quickly matched. It was better than he had imagined it would be, her lips seemed to fit perfectly into his.</p>
<p>George was just thinking that he could do this for forever when Eve suddenly pulled back. Her breathing was heavy and ragged, as was his, and she stared at her hands on his chest, refusing to make eye contact. George couldn’t help the smug expression on his face as he watched her trying to catch her breath.</p>
<p>“That’s what I thought,” he said, smirking down at her.</p>
<p>Eve finally met his gaze. He couldn’t read her face, it was composed and blank, but there was something in her eyes. He just couldn’t quite lay a finger on what it was. George was about to make another teasing comment when she suddenly pushed against his chest, causing him to stumble back a step. She quickly grabbed her book off the ground and took off running down the hall before he could stop her.</p>
<p>“What’re you doing?”</p>
<p>George looked back to find Fred and Lee staring at him like he had lost his marbles. Maybe he had. For a moment, he debated telling them what had happened, but quickly decided against it. Mostly because he wasn’t totally sure what had happened. A kiss, obviously. But what did it mean? Would it happen again? George didn’t have those answers.</p>
<p>“Could’ve sworn there was a bathroom here,” George said, shrugging. It probably would’ve helped if he could have said that with a straight face, but he couldn’t seem to stop smiling. While Lee seemed to buy his poor excuse, George could tell Fred didn’t, but luckily, he didn’t say anything.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Hot and Cold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>George was still on a high from his kiss with Eve the day before. The morning flew by, not in a slow haze as before, but as if he was watching the world rush by him from a train window. Clear, visible, and aware of what was happening, but over before he knew it. It felt like it had only been all of five minutes before it was already time to head to the Great Hall for lunch.</p><p>George and Fred hung out outside of their class, waiting for Lee to be done talking to the professor so they could all head to the Great Hall together. Fred hadn’t brought up yesterday’s incident once. George knew he was suspicious, but if Fred wasn’t going to say anything, neither was he. Fred was in the middle of talking about another idea for an invention when George got the feeling someone was staring at him.</p><p>George looked up and sure enough, his eyes locked with a familiar pair of deep blue eyes at the end of the hall. Eve just stood for a moment, holding his gaze. George’s head perked up a little, curious as to what she was doing, and he barely even heard what Fred was saying at this point. Eve began walking towards another corridor, giving George one last glance before she disappeared around the corner.</p><p>Was that … an invitation? George couldn’t be sure, but he had a feeling she wanted him to follow her and that was all he needed. He mumbled out that he had forgotten something and was off running down the hall before Fred could protest. His blood was boiling with anticipation and he whipped around the corner and saw … nothing.</p><p>The corridor was empty.</p><p>“Eve?” George called out, confused, as he took a couple steps down the hall. “Eve?” he repeated in a hushed tone.</p><p>Everything happened at once, before George could fully process what was happening. He vaguely heard the sound of a door opening and next thing he knew, something grabbed his arm. He was yanked into a room, the door slamming behind him with a loud crack. He took a minute to collect himself. He was in a small closet of some sort, and Eve was standing in front of him, only inches away. Close enough that he could feel the body heat radiating off of her, smell her sweet aroma that he could only compare to warm sugar.</p><p>George flashed her a smug smirk. “Fancy meeting you here.”</p><p>Eve rolled her eyes and her expression appeared annoyed, but she couldn’t quite keep the humor out of her voice when she spoke. “Shut up.”</p><p>Eve’s hands were around his neck, pulling his face to hers in a heartbeat. Their lips came crashing together hard. One hand went to the side of Eve’s face, holding her cheek, while the other wrapped around the small of her back. George pulled until Eve’s body was pressing against his own. He felt her inhale sharply as their hips collided.</p><p>This kiss was different, it was greedy, almost desperate. Which was about how George was feeling right then, and he needed more. The next time her lips parted in their rhythm, George’s tongue swept across, in between her lips and teeth. The quiet moan that escaped from Eve’s lips almost undid him completely. Her mouth opened, inviting more, and George happily obliged. His tongue met hers and they began to dance together.</p><p>Eve’s leg lifted slightly, rubbing against the side of George’s thigh, and he took the opportunity to grab it. His other hand quickly found the thigh of her other leg and he lifted her up. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, her mouth never leaving his. He was only half aware of himself, so when he pushed her against the wall, she slammed against it a little harder than he had intended.</p><p>His excitement quickly turned to panic and he broke the kiss. They were both breathing hard, but she barely gave him a chance to catch his breath, let alone ask her if she was okay. Her fingers crept into his hair, grabbing a fistful and pulling his mouth back to hers. Guess she was fine. George positioned his knee under her to help hold her up, so his hands could be free to roam, and roam they did.</p><p>One went straight to her hair, grabbing a fistful like she had done to him, while the other found its way just under her shirt. He rubbed up and down the contour of her waist, the feeling of her soft skin under his hands completely intoxicating. Just as he was about to lose himself completely in the sensation of it, Eve pulled away.</p><p>George watched her carefully, trying to gauge what she was doing. She stared at his mouth, biting her bottom lip, and it took everything in him not to kiss her again so he could feel her lip between his teeth instead. She closed her eyes for a moment, slowing her breathing, before finally looking him in the eye. She appeared calm but there was still a hunger in her eyes, a hunger George was sure his own reflected.</p><p>“I have to go,” she said quietly.</p><p>That was the last thing George wanted to hear. “Absolutely not.”</p><p>She opened her mouth to respond, surely in a disapproving way, but George’s mouth was on her neck before she could fully get the words out, so when she finally said his name, it came out as a moan instead. George let out a half moan, half groan against her skin. The sound of her moaning his name was enough to make him weak. Did she even have any idea what that just did to him? How was he supposed to let her leave now?</p><p>“Bloody hell, Eve,” he breathed out, resting his forehead on her shoulder, struggling to find some semblance of control.</p><p>They stayed like that for a moment, while George tried to calm himself. He wasn’t fully collected, but he was aware enough now. He put his leg down, allowing her to slowly unwrap her legs from his waist and stand on her own feet again. He was still going to need a moment to compose himself, but she didn’t have the same problem, so she could go. It was probably better they didn’t leave at the same time anyway, just in case.</p><p>Eve ran her fingers through the length of her hair a couple times, combing out any knotts his hands had created, and then she straightened out her uniform. She stepped around George, headed for the door, but stopped just as her hand reached for the knob. She turned back around to face him, her expression suddenly serious.</p><p>“I want to make something clear,” she said. George didn’t respond with words, but tilted his head curiously. “If you tell anyone about this, I will hex your ass into the next <i>century</i>, got it?”</p><p>George couldn’t help but laugh as he threw his hands up in surrender. “Not a soul,” he replied.</p><p>She flashed him a quick smirk before leaving.</p><p>After taking a few moments to fully calm himself and straighten himself out as well, George left the closet and headed for the Great Hall. He found Fred and Lee, almost finished eating already. As he walked towards them, the smell of the food hit him and he suddenly realized just how hungry he was. He was grabbing food before he had even taken his seat. Fred gave George a weird look as he sat next to him.</p><p>“What?” George mumbled out, his mouth full of food.</p><p>Fred shook his head, but once again, didn’t say anything.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>Over the next couple days, George would sneak off with Eve every chance he got. There was never a lot of conversation between them, just hot and heavy snogging. Not that he was complaining, but there was a part of him that wanted more. He ignored that part of him as long as he could, until it just burst out.</p><p>“Go to the ball with me,” he had blurted out suddenly while his lips were brushing against the skin on her neck.</p><p>He felt her stiffen, her heavy breathing stopping instantly, and he almost regretted what he said. Almost. He pulled back to look at her. Her eyes were wide, unable to hide the shock. Eve was usually so good at controlling her facial expressions, but George must have caught her completely off guard this time.</p><p>“What?” she asked, blinking a couple times.</p><p>George smiled. Seeing her flustered was quickly becoming one of his favorite things. “Go to the ball with me,” he repeated.</p><p>Eve scoffed, seeming to finally gain a little control over her expression. “Is that a request or a demand?”</p><p>George rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips. “Will you go to the Yule ball with me?”</p><p>“No,” she answered flatly, reaching up to kiss him again, but George pulled back in surprise.</p><p>“No? Whaddya mean no?” He didn’t want to admit the bruise that just gave his ego, but he couldn’t quite keep the hurt from the tone of his voice.</p><p>Eve didn’t seem to notice. She just shrugged and nonchalantly said, “I can’t.”</p><p>“Can’t?”</p><p>“That’s what I said.” The tone of her voice was becoming increasingly annoyed, but George just couldn’t stop himself.</p><p>“Why can’t you go with me,” he demanded, probably a little harsher than he should have.</p><p>His first thought was that she was already going with someone else and he couldn’t get the image out of his head. There was a rush of adrenaline at the thought of it, but this was different. It wasn’t the exciting warmth and twisting, turning motion in the pit of his stomach like it was when he was with Eve, but rather a borderline painful fire in his chest. It was like the idea of her with someone else triggered his fight or flight, and George Weasley was definitely a fighter.</p><p>“Because I’m not going,” Eve said matter-of-factly.</p><p>She must have had enough, because she pushed passed George and walked out of the closet they were in. At that moment, George didn’t care if anyone saw them, he immediately followed after her. She was taking long, angry strides down the hall, but George was able to easily match her speed.</p><p>“You’re not going?”</p><p>Eve stopped in tracks, turning to face George. Her long blonde hair whipped through the air as she turned, as if it was an extension of her anger. “Are you just going to repeat everything I say?”</p><p>George took a slow breath and made a conscious effort to soften his tone as he said, “I’m just trying to understand.”</p><p>Too little, too late, apparently. “Well don’t,” she spat bitterly. “I’m not going, end of story.”</p><p>She stormed off again, but this time George didn’t follow her. He didn’t really know what had just happened, but clearly, she didn’t want to talk to him. And as he walked to the Great Hall, he started to feel so dumb for ever thinking she did. George had let the physical chemistry that clearly existed between them fool him into thinking she liked him, and now he was hit with the truth he should have seen all along.</p><p>George couldn’t figure out exactly what he was feeling. Hurt? Angry? Disappointed? Bitter? Maybe a little of all of them? By the time he made it to the Great Hall for dinner, his head was spinning. As he walked towards where Fred was seated, he looked at the food and realized none of it looked appetizing, but as he took his seat next to Fred, he loaded up his plate anyway in a sad attempt to keep up the appearance that nothing was going on.</p><p>He wasn’t sure why he was even still bothering to try to lie to Fred about what was going on. Did it even matter now that it was apparently over, whatever it was? The first bite of food George took made him feel sick to his stomach. He couldn’t eat right now and ended up just pushing his food around the plate with his fork. If he did want to hide things from Fred still, he was doing a terrible job at it right now. And apparently Fred had had enough.</p><p>“Alright,” Fred said, pushing his plate away from him. He swung one leg over the bench, so that he was now straddling it, facing George. “I’ve let this slide long enough, what the hell is going on with you?” George was about to respond, pretending to be clueless, when Fred beat him to it. “Don’t you dare play dumb with me, Georgie. You’ve been acting weird for days now.”</p><p>Damn. George wasn’t sure how he was going to get out of this one. He couldn’t resist, and allowed himself a glance at the Slytherin table. He wasn’t sure what he was hoping to accomplish with that look, but he didn’t expect to find Eve staring at him. She smiled at him, before turning to look at Malfoy, who was clearly talking to her about something.</p><p>A smile? She smiled at him? She had just shot him down and yelled at him, and now she’s giving him a smile? George had no idea what to think right now, and he certainly had no desire to try to explain it to Fred knowing damn well he’d have his own ideas about what’s happening. George didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to know what Fred thought about the situation he had gotten himself into.</p><p>George groaned, letting his head fall to hit the edge of the table. “I don’t want to talk about it right now, Fred.”</p><p>Fred was quiet for a moment before he let out a sigh and George could feel him moving to sit normally again. “Fine. But this conversation isn’t over.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Fragile Ego</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next few days dragged on. George had been avoiding Eve best he could, but he couldn’t shake his bitter mood. Fred had clearly noticed. George knew Fred wanted to say something, not knowing was clearly annoying him, but he seemed to be waiting for George to bring it up. And George wasn’t bringing it up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Never once did George think he would ever say he’d be grateful to be stuck doing homework with Snape watching over them, but it was nice to have an excuse to sit in silence without anyone questioning it. He was trying to focus only on his work, mostly because it was nice to have something to put his mind to. Otherwise it’d be on Eve. Replaying every word spoken between them, every glance she has ever given him, trying to analyze what it all meant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was useless. George just couldn’t figure her out. Despite him avoiding her completely, he would still catch Eve staring at him in class or from across the Great Hall. Her expressions were as unreadable as ever, even then. Which just made him more determined to avoid her. He hated being in the dark. I mean, honestly, what did he even actually know about her? Nothing, really. And she didn’t seem to have any interest in changing that, so why should he?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He had gotten distracted. He blinked at his parchment a couple times, but he couldn’t seem to make it come into focus completely. He glanced over at Fred to see how close he was to finishing, only to see him writing something completely unrelated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Get a move on or all the good ones will have gone.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George was completely lost, until he saw Fred fold up the note and toss it to their little brother. Even his foul mood couldn’t keep him from smiling at that one. Poor Ronald. Ron caught the note and took a moment to read it, before shooting Fred a dirty look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who you going with then?” he whispered, his tone annoyed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred flashed a quick smirk at Ron, before wadding up a piece of paper. He tossed it, expertly hitting Angelina right in the back of the head. George stifled a laugh as she turned slowly, glaring at Fred.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oi, Angelina?” Fred whispered. Angelina mouthed </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span> at him. “Do you,” he started, pointing at her. “Wanna go to the ball.” Fred was moving his arms widely like he was dancing. It’s a wonder Snape didn’t notice. Then he pointed to himself. “With me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To the ball? Yeah, all right, then,” she replied with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George watched Fred turn back to their little brother, giving him a cocky wink. George’s hand covered his mouth to keep quiet as he shook with silent laughter. Ron was flustered and quickly turned to Hermione. Oh, this was going to be good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oi, Hermione. You’re a girl.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George and Fred both had to cough in an attempt to hide their laughter. George put his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his hands as he watched his little brother dig himself a truly impressive hole. For a moment, George thought he would have to take pity on Ron at some point and give him a couple pointers on talking to girls. But then George remembered Eve. Perhaps he shouldn’t be giving advice, after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, well spotted,” Hermione replied sarcastically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come with one of us?” Ron tried to mimic the same dancing motion Fred had just done, but he didn’t get away with it. Snape quickly smacked the back of his head, and Harry’s as well, despite Harry having done nothing. “Come on,” he continued after Snape walked away. “It’s one thing for a bloke to show up alone. For a girl, it’s just sad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George couldn’t watch anymore, it was worse than he could have imagined. He did his best to return his focus to his work and tune out the hushed conversation beside him. He did notice Hermione getting up to turn in her work and saying one last thing to Ron before storming off in a huff. Then he noticed Snape.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Snape was standing right behind Ron and Harry, who didn’t seem to notice his presence as they continued their conversation. George glanced at Fred to find he was watching Snape too, a wicked grin on his face. They watched as Snape pulled back his sleeves slightly, the anticipation adding to the hilarity of it all, before finally shoving both Ron and Harry’s heads down. George almost lost it, and from the looks of it, Fred was struggling to keep it together, too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of class was uneventful and they were able to finish their homework quickly before heading off to the Great Hall for dinner. George’s good mood didn’t last long, as the first thing he saw as they entered the hall was Eve and Malfoy already seated at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was chatting away, but Eve was watching George as he and his brother made their way to their seats. He looked away, not wanting to keep eye contact with her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite his hope for an easy dinner, food had just barely showed up before Fred turned to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, who are you taking to the ball?” he asked. His voice was calm and innocent, but George knew better. It seemed Fred had already figured whatever George had been hiding was clearly related to someone he was interested in. Figures. George just replied with a shrug, hoping he would drop it, but knowing better. “Have you even asked anyone?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George debated for a moment. None of it mattered anymore, right? So might as well be honest. “I did,” he answered slowly, trying not to give anything away in his tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a pause. Fred was waiting for more, but when George didn’t say anything, he prompted him to continue. “But?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George took a breath and shrugged, fighting to stay as nonchalant as he could. “But they said no.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who?” Fred’s tone suggested he didn’t believe George’s attempts to seem unfazed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not important.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds like it is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The look Fred gave him almost made George feel bad. They never kept anything from each other. In fact, this is the only time George can remember ever having lied to Fred, and the expression on Fred’s face was somewhere caught between concern and annoyance. He debated once again telling him everything, but he wouldn’t know how to even if he wanted to. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter,” he said quietly. “It’s not going to change anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred opened his mouth to respond, but then he glanced up at something. George turned slightly to follow Fred’s gaze. Standing behind them was Jane, with two of her friend’s, whom George admittedly didn’t know their names. Jane was looking at George, her cheeks flushed a light pink color.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, all George could see was Eve, remembering the way her cheeks seemed to glow pink every time he was around her. He wanted so desperately to turn around and look at the Slytherin table, to see if he could catch a glimpse of those rosy cheeks, but Jane’s voice kept his attention on her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I couldn’t help but overhear. Is it true you don’t have a date to the ball?” she asked, rocking slightly on her feet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When George didn’t answer right away, Fred did for him. “Yeah, that’s right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jane glanced at Fred, giving him a soft smile, before turning back to George. “Maybe … maybe we could go together?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was nervous. George was sure he couldn’t have felt worse than he already did, but he was wrong. On top of whatever was happening with Eve and the guilt of lying about all of it to Fred, now here was this sweet girl he had known for years, so nervous to ask him to the dance, and all his thoughts were with another girl. It would be so wrong to take her, but it’s not like he was able to go with who he really wanted to go with anyway, right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe this would be good. It would probably get Fred off his back for one, and it might even help George get his mind off Eve. Maybe. George debated this moral dilemma a little too long. Jane was looking like she regretted asking him, expecting a no since it had taken him so long to answer. Actually, she honestly looked like she might just throw up. George gave her the biggest smile he could muster up in his state.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, that sounds nice,” he finally replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jane seemed ecstatic as she turned to her friends. They all shared a somewhat obnoxious squeal before running off. The guilt immediately sunk in. He shouldn’t have agreed to take her. It wasn’t fair to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See,” Fred said, slapping George on the back. “You’ll be fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George wasn’t so sure he believed that right in that moment, but he wasn’t about to explain it to Fred. George gave a half hearted yeah and allowed himself another glance at the Slytherin table. Sure enough, he was met with a pair of deep blue eyes staring back at him and he quickly looked away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gonna head back and finish up some homework,” he said as he stood up and briskly started to walk away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred immediately stood up, too. “Wait up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George bit back a groan. He really thought taking Jane to the ball would be enough to get Fred off his back, at least for a little bit, but clearly he was wrong. Fred hadn’t even finished eating, but was going to leave just to watch him. George took a breath and collected his thoughts best he could so he could give Fred a convincing shit-eating grin. “No, no, you finish stuffing your face. Then I can be the skinny twin,” he said with a wink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred hurled a piece of food at him, hitting him in the chest and getting crumbs all over his robes. But he sat back down; it had worked. George was apparently convincing enough for Fred to believe he was fine, and he took off before Fred could change his mind. George was wiping the crumbs off when he turned the corner. He looked up just in time to stop himself from crashing into someone. His breath hitched for a moment, startled. Then, his breath stopped altogether as he realized who he almost ran into. Eve was leaned up against the wall, arms crossed, staring at George with her infamous blank expression.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bloody hell, Eve,” George muttered as he tried to find a normal breathing rhythm again. Wait. “How did you … ?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hadn’t he just seen her sitting at the Slytherin table? There was no way she made it out of the Great Hall before him, especially without him even noticing. Right? Eve ignored his question and stood up straight, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at George.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve been avoiding me,” she said, her voice annoyed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What is it with this girl? She shot him down when he asked her out, and seemed pissed that he even asked, but now she’s pissed at him for ignoring her? George scoffed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, figured that’s what you wanted.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George moved past her to walk by, but she quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. Despite everything, despite how annoyed and confused he was, her touch still ignited something in him. He had missed her, even if he didn’t want to admit it, and just her grabbing his arm was enough to make him want to pull her to him and feel her lips on his again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span> are you on about?” she asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George turned to face her in disbelief. She couldn’t be serious, right? Had he dreamt the whole conversation or was she really that daft?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The ball?” George retorted, unable to keep the sarcasm from his tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve stared at him for a moment, confused, before it seemed to finally click. Then she burst out laughing. George narrowed his eyes at her. Of course, it would be funny to her. It had been driving him insane the last few days, and she’s laughing over it as it was nothing. He should have known. George couldn’t tell if he was more annoyed with her, or with himself. Eve finally stopped laughing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You men and your fragile egos,” she said, rolling her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She gave George a gentle smile and any annoyance he felt was gone in an instant. He had never seen her smile like that. Usually when she smiled at him, it was playful and mischievous. But this one was so different and it nearly took his breath away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t turn you down because I didn’t want to go with you, George. I’m honestly not going. I wasn’t just making that up to get rid of you, you idiot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” George replied dumbly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sense of relief washed over him. He was very aware that she didn’t actually admit to </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanting</span>
  </em>
  <span> to go with him, but she did admit to not </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> wanting to go with him. It was a start. And George was elated to learn he had been wrong, but he wasn’t quite ready to give her the satisfaction of knowing that. Especially when he still wasn’t a hundred percent sure how she felt or if she wanted the same things he did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” he started, careful to keep some semblance of annoyance in his tone. “How would I know that? It’s not like we actually talk about anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve’s gentle smile twisted into the playful smirk he was used to seeing from her and she reached her hand up. George stood completely still as she twirled a strand of his hair around her finger. Her voice was sultry when she spoke. “Are you saying you don’t enjoy our little rendezvous?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. Damn, she fights dirty. George struggled to maintain his composure, but he was dead set on settling this conversation once and for all. If he let her keep playing with his hair like that, he definitely wouldn’t be able to stay on track. “Of course I do,” he said slowly, taking her hand into his. “I’m just wondering if that’s all we’re doing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve’s smile disappeared instantly and she quickly took her hand back. She narrowed her eyes at George, her tone with a hint of annoyance when she spoke. “Please tell me you’re not trying to have the ‘what are we’ conversation with me right now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not!” George replied quickly. Eve’s expression said that she didn’t believe him. Which was fair. That’s pretty much exactly what he was trying to do, he just didn’t want to have to admit she was right. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, not exactly,” he continued sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Eve rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, give me a break Eve. Can you really blame me? We’ve been running around together, sneaking off into random closets to snog, yet you won’t go to the ball with me-” Eve shot George a glare and he quickly corrected himself. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>-can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> go to the ball with me, and then get annoyed when I ignore you. Not to mention the fact that I’m lying to Fred about all this. Do you have any idea how hard it is to lie to someone who knows you better than you bloody know yourself?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you want me to say, George?” she asked in a huff.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George took a moment to consider that question. What </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>he want her to say? He hadn’t given it much thought, having spent the last few days trying to keep his thoughts anywhere but right here and now he was having to face it head on. He couldn’t take her to the ball like he originally had wanted, so what did he want instead? In truth, he really just wanted to get to know her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Say you’ll meet me tonight,” he finally responded. “At the quidditch field. We can meet after everyone’s gone to bed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve pursed her lips, seeming to give it a lot of thought. “And do what? Talk?” George nodded, biting his lower lip in anticipation. Eve’s gaze traveled down to his lips and stayed there for a moment, before she finally sighed. “Fine,” she said as she turned around and walked off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve never gave George much chance to process things before she was gone, but he didn’t mind. She had said yes, or well, she said “fine” technically, but George counted it as a win, and that was all that mattered to him in that moment. He ran off to the common rooms after that, his mind racing and heart pounding in excitement. He couldn’t wait.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Yule Ball</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next few days leading up to the ball flew by. George and Eve had fallen back into a routine of sneaking around together, except now there were conversations in between all the snogging. George was slowly learning more and more about Eve, like her obsession with muggle novels. While steamy romance novels did seem to make up a good portion of her collection, she also read a lot of horror and fantasy. Apparently she found muggle depictions of witches and wizards quite comical.</p>
<p>His absolute favorite thing about her, however, is how her breath still catches every time he calls her Evie. He hasn’t asked her about it yet, but it happens every time and he adores it. Eve is taking up more and more of his time and attention. Even when they aren’t together, she was always on his mind. And as a result, it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide it from Fred.</p>
<p>There were a couple occasions they were almost caught. George always tried to play it off, but Fred never fully believed him. He could tell his brother was becoming increasingly frustrated with George’s lies, but he never said it outright. Part of George wondered why he was even bothering to hide it still, but Eve didn’t seem to want anyone to know, and George was a little afraid to ask why.</p>
<p>Now that the ball had finally arrived, Fred was having the time of his life, twirling Angelina around the dance floor, making her laugh constantly. George, on the other hand, was more occupied with the food. He had danced a couple songs with Jane, but was quick to retreat to the food table as soon as a slow song came on. He already felt guilty for even being there with her, he certainly wasn’t about to hold her for a slow dance. Eve was the only one he wanted in his arms like that.</p>
<p>George couldn’t help but wonder what she was up to and why she said she wasn’t able to come to the dance. It was odd, but every time George considered asking her about it, he’d remember how she’d yelled at him the last time and would chicken out. He didn’t want to fight with Eve again, and if that meant having to tiptoe around certain subjects, like the ball or her relationship with the Malfoys, then that was what he was going to do.</p>
<p>“George!” Jane snapped, pulling George from his thoughts. From the expression on her face, George guessed she had probably called his name a couple times.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” George said with a sheepish smile. “What were you saying?”</p>
<p>“Just forget it,” she hissed, storming off towards the dance floor.</p>
<p>George shoved the pastry he was holding into his mouth in one bite and moved to go after her, legitimately feeling bad for ruining her night. That had never been his intention. But something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look at the open doorway to the ballroom and just barely caught sight of blonde hair running past. Eve. He glanced back over at Jane, who was now dancing with some friends and seemed moderately okay. So he took off after Eve instead.</p>
<p>As George entered the hall, he found himself alone, with no Eve in sight. He wandered the halls aimlessly, unsure of where she would have gone. After roaming around for a while, he was beginning to think he had been seeing things, when he saw a light flickering from inside the library. He walked into the library and spotted Eve sitting at a table, surrounded by a pile of large books.</p>
<p>“<em>This </em> is why you couldn’t come to the ball?” George scoffed, the distaste clear in his tone.</p>
<p>Eve jumped out of her seat at the sound of his voice, her hand flying to point her wand at him. George laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.</p>
<p>“George! You have to stop doing that,” Eve whined, putting her wand away.</p>
<p>Eve sat back down in her seat, turning away from George. George was still laughing as he walked over and hopped up on the table she was sitting at, smiling down at her.</p>
<p>“You seriously turned me down so you could study?”</p>
<p>“I’m not studying, I’m looking for something.” George raised a questioning eyebrow at her and she shook her head slightly. “It doesn’t matter,” she mumbled, looking away from him and back down at the open book in front of her. “Shouldn’t you be with your date?”</p>
<p>“Is that jealousy I’m hearing?”</p>
<p>“No!” Eve answered quickly. Too quickly.</p>
<p>George couldn’t keep the smug grin off his face as he bent over, leaning close to Eve. With his fingers under her chin, he tilted her head up so she was looking at him again, before placing a soft kiss on her lips. He pulled back only slightly, their faces only centimeters apart, staring into her eyes.</p>
<p>“I only took someone to get Fred off my back,” he said gently. “Promise.”</p>
<p>George could see a hint of a smile pulling at the corner of Eve’s lips, but she didn’t allow it to fully take hold. “Still,” she muttered, looking away from him. “You should get back.”</p>
<p>George rolled his eyes, but smiled. “Don’t think I will,” he said as he leaned back on his arms.</p>
<p>Eve looked back up, narrowing her eyes at him. George just smiled in return, wiggling his eyebrows at her. They were challenging each other, both stubborn as hell and determined to come out on top. And George was convinced he was winning, so when Eve smiled mischievously, he was a little caught off guard.</p>
<p>“Fine.” Eve turned to her side, grabbing a book. “If you’re going to stay, you might as well make yourself useful.”</p>
<p>Eve held the book out to George, as he scowled down at it. He was about to tell her there was no way he was spending the night buried in books, but when he looked at her his resolve faltered. She was giving him the oddest look, not a glare or a smug smirk that he would expect from her, but a disapproving look. The type of look his mother always gave him and Fred whenever they got themselves into trouble. Which was almost constantly.</p>
<p>“Very well,” he surrendered, grabbing the book from her and opening it. “What exactly are we looking for?”</p>
<p>“Fire spells.”</p>
<p>George furrowed his eyebrows, looking back at Eve, but her attention was back on the book in front of her. “Why are we looking for fire spells?”</p>
<p>“No questions, just reading,” she replied without even looking up.</p>
<p>He stared at her for a moment, but when she ignored him and kept reading, George gave up and turned his attention to the book she had given him.</p>
<p>They spent a while flipping through books. George wasn’t exactly sure how much time had passed, but it felt like forever. Anytime he found anything fire related, he would show it to Eve. She’d take a moment to read about it before saying “Nope, keep looking.” Clearly, she was looking for something specific, but she wouldn’t give George anymore information so they kept repeating the same routine.</p>
<p>Eventually, George couldn’t take it anymore, and he dramatically flopped back so he was laying down on the table with a loud groan.</p>
<p>“Are we really going to do this all night?” he whined.</p>
<p>“I told you to go back to the dance.”</p>
<p>That was true, she had tried to tell him to go back. And George would love to … if Eve was there. He’d love nothing more than to dance the night away with her in his arms. George shot up suddenly, earning him a look from Eve that said she was wondering if he had lost his mind. And maybe he had. He hopped off the desk and held his hand out to Eve.</p>
<p>“Dance with me.”</p>
<p>Eve rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.”</p>
<p>“You can take a break for five minutes.”</p>
<p>George doesn’t give Eve a choice and takes hold of her wrist, pulling her out of her seat. He led her to the center of the walkway, giving them enough room. Eve folds her arms across her chest, giving George the same disapproving look.</p>
<p>“George,” she scolded flatly.</p>
<p>“Evie,” he teased back.</p>
<p>As always, Eve’s breath hitched for a moment and her arms uncrossed. George took advantage of her moment of weakness and pulled her close, placing one hand on the small of her back and holding her hand with the other. Before she could have a chance to protest, he was already moving and she seemed to just naturally follow his movements. She laughed loudly as he spun her around the library.</p>
<p>They danced exuberantly to the faint music that just barely reached down to the library for a while, before George pulled her back in close and they began swaying back and forth leisurely. Eve smiled gently as she looked up at him.</p>
<p>“You clean up nice,” she said.</p>
<p>George feigned a shocked expression, his hand dramatically flying to his chest. “Was that a <em> compliment </em>?”</p>
<p>Eve narrowed her eyes at him, but there was still a hint of a smile on her lips. “Don’t push your luck, Weasley.”</p>
<p>“Oh, but darling, that’s what I do best,” George said smugly, his hand tilting her chin up slightly. “You are so beautiful.”</p>
<p>Eve’s eyes widened ever so slightly, as if this was surprising to hear for some reason. George couldn’t imagine why. She had to know how utterly stunning she was, right? How could she not. She didn’t say anything, but reached up slightly until their lips met in a gentle, but passionate kiss.</p>
<p>“Mr. Weasley.”</p>
<p>The suddenness of the voice made Eve jump slightly, and she pushed herself out of George’s arms, much to his distaste. They both looked towards the entrance of the library to find Professor Snape stalking towards them, his gaze on George the entire time. He looked annoyed, though George was pretty sure that was just the way his face was. He stopped just a few feet short of them and finally glanced over at Eve.</p>
<p>“And Miss De Luca,” he added. George thought his tone sounded a little odd as he addressed Eve, but he wasn’t about to try and decipher the inner workings of Snape’s mind. “10 points from Gryffindor and Slytherin. I suggest you get back to the ball before I decide to add detention to that as well.”</p>
<p>Eve immediately started walking out of the library and George followed quickly behind her, trying to stifle a laugh. That would definitely earn him at least a week’s worth of detention, he was sure. They had just about reached the door when Snape’s voice made them stop.</p>
<p>“Miss De Luca.” Eve turned to look back at him, George following her lead. Snape’s expression seemed less annoyed than usual, but his voice was stern when he spoke. “That is the second time I have had to take points from my own house because of you. Do not make it a habit.”</p>
<p>George looked over at Eve curiously, but her gaze was still trained on Snape. There was an uncomfortably long pause and George kept glancing back and forth between the two, trying to understand what was happening. Suddenly, Eve smiled brightly.</p>
<p>“Wouldn’t dream of it, Professor,” she said, her tone mostly serious, but George could have sworn there was a hint of playfulness in it.</p>
<p>Eve quickly turned on her heels, and nearly ran out of the library, George following closely behind her. As soon as they were out of ear shot, Eve looked at George with an amused expression and he couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. </p>
<p>“Second time, eh? What a rebel,” George teased, grabbing Eve by her waist and pulling her close. She threw her head back in laughter.</p>
<p>“You know me,” she said with a smug smirk. “You really should get back to your date now, you know.”</p>
<p>George frowned slightly, but nodded his head in agreement. “You know,” he started slowly, carefully thinking about how to word what he wanted to say. “I won’t ask what that was about, but … just a suggestion, fire spells are fun and well, but don’t have much use other than staying warm.”</p>
<p>Eve tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“Well, I don’t know anyone who can’t put out a fire spell, we learned that in like our first year of charms.”</p>
<p>Eve’s eyes went wide. “George, you’re a genius!” she exclaimed, reaching up to meet his lips in a quick kiss before running off.</p>
<p>George was left standing in the open, staring down the corridor she had just disappeared down, feeling a little confused but satisfied nevertheless, unable to keep the smile off his face. He watched the empty corridor for a few more moments, before deciding it was time to head back to the ball.</p>
<p>He turned to head back, but stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of his brother leaning up against the wall, arms crossed and a knowing smile on his smug face.</p>
<p>Damn.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Yule Ball</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next few days leading up to the ball flew by. George and Eve had fallen back into a routine of sneaking around together, except now there were conversations in between all the snogging. George was slowly learning more and more about Eve, like her obsession with muggle novels. While steamy romance novels did seem to make up a good portion of her collection, she also read a lot of horror and fantasy. Apparently she found muggle depictions of witches and wizards quite comical.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His absolute favorite thing about her, however, is how her breath still catches every time he calls her Evie. He hasn’t asked her about it yet, but it happens every time and he adores it. Eve is taking up more and more of his time and attention. Even when they aren’t together, she was always on his mind. And as a result, it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide it from Fred.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were a couple occasions they were almost caught. George always tried to play it off, but Fred never fully believed him. He could tell his brother was becoming increasingly frustrated with George’s lies, but he never said it outright. Part of George wondered why he was even bothering to hide it still, but Eve didn’t seem to want anyone to know, and George was a little afraid to ask why.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now that the ball had finally arrived, Fred was having the time of his life, twirling Angelina around the dance floor, making her laugh constantly. George, on the other hand, was more occupied with the food. He had danced a couple songs with Jane, but was quick to retreat to the food table as soon as a slow song came on. He already felt guilty for even being there with her, he certainly wasn’t about to hold her for a slow dance. Eve was the only one he wanted in his arms like that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George couldn’t help but wonder what she was up to and why she said she wasn’t able to come to the dance. It was odd, but everytime George considered asking her about it, he’d remember how she’d yelled at him the last time and would chicken out. He didn’t want to fight with Eve again, and if that meant having to tiptoe around certain subjects, like the ball or her relationship with the Malfoys, then that was what he was going to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“George!” Jane snapped, pulling George from his thoughts. From the expression on her face, George guessed she had probably called his name a couple times.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” George said with a sheepish smile. “What were you saying?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just forget it,” she hissed, storming off towards the dance floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George shoved the pastry he was holding into his mouth in one bite and moved to go after her, legitimately feeling bad for ruining her night. That had never been his intention. But something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look at the open doorway to the ballroom and just barely caught sight of blonde hair running past. Eve. He glanced back over at Jane, who was now dancing with some friends and seemed moderately okay. So he took off after Eve instead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As George entered the hall, he found himself alone, with no Eve in sight. He wandered the halls aimlessly, unsure of where she would have gone. After roaming around for a while, he was beginning to think he had been seeing things, when he saw a light flickering from inside the library. He walked into the library and spotted Eve sitting at a table, surrounded by a pile of large books.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>This</span>
  </em>
  <span> is why you couldn’t come to the ball?” George scoffed, the distaste clear in his tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve jumped out of her seat at the sound of his voice, her hand flying to point her wand at him. George laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“George! You have to stop doing that,” Eve whined, putting her wand away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve sat back down in her seat, turning away from George. George was still laughing as he walked over and hopped up on the table she was sitting at, smiling down at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You seriously turned me down so you could study?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not studying, I’m looking for something.” George raised a questioning eyebrow at her and she shook her head slightly. “It doesn’t matter,” she mumbled, looking away from him and back down at the open book in front of her. “Shouldn’t you be with your date?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that jealousy I’m hearing?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” Eve answered quickly. Too quickly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George couldn’t keep the smug grin off his face as he bent over, leaning close to Eve. With his fingers under her chin, he tilted her head up so she was looking at him again, before placing a soft kiss on her lips. He pulled back only slightly, their faces only centimeters apart, staring into her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I only took someone to get Fred off my back,” he said gently. “Promise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George could see a hint of a smile pulling at the corner of Eve’s lips, but she didn’t allow it to fully take hold. “Still,” she muttered, looking away from him. “You should get back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George rolled his eyes, but smiled. “Don’t think I will,” he said as he leaned back on his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve looked back up, narrowing her eyes at him. George just smiled in return, wiggling his eyebrows at her. They were challenging each other, both stubborn as hell and determined to come out on top. And George was convinced he was winning, so when Eve smiled mischievously, he was a little caught off guard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine.” Eve turned to her side, grabbing a book. “If you’re going to stay, you might as well make yourself useful.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve held the book out to George, as he scowled down at it. He was about to tell her there was no way he was spending the night buried in books, but when he looked at her his resolve faltered. She was giving him the oddest look, not a glare or a smug smirk that he would expect from her, but a disapproving look. The type of look his mother always gave him and Fred whenever they got themselves into trouble. Which was almost constantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Very well,” he surrendered, grabbing the book from her and opening it. “What exactly are we looking for?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fire spells.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George furrowed his eyebrows, looking back at Eve, but her attention was back on the book in front of her. “Why are we looking for fire spells?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No questions, just reading,” she replied without even looking up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stared at her for a moment, but when she ignored him and kept reading, George gave up and turned his attention to the book she had given him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They spent a while flipping through books. George wasn’t exactly sure how much time had passed, but it felt like forever. Anytime he found anything fire related, he would show it to Eve. She’d take a moment to read about it before saying “Nope, keep looking.” Clearly, she was looking for something specific, but she wouldn’t give George anymore information so they kept repeating the same routine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, George couldn’t take it anymore, and he dramatically flopped back so he was laying down on the table with a loud groan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are we really going to do this all night?” he whined.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you to go back to the dance.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was true, she had tried to tell him to go back. And George would love to … if Eve was there. He’d love nothing more than to dance the night away with her in his arms. George shot up suddenly, earning him a look from Eve that said she was wondering if he had lost his mind. And maybe he had. He hopped off the desk and held his hand out to Eve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dance with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can take a break for five minutes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George doesn’t give Eve a choice and takes hold of her wrist, pulling her out of her seat. He led her to the center of the walkway, giving them enough room. Eve folds her arms across her chest, giving George the same disapproving look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“George,” she scolded flatly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie,” he teased back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As always, Eve’s breath hitched for a moment and her arms uncrossed. George took advantage of her moment of weakness and pulled her close, placing one hand on the small of her back and holding her hand with the other. Before she could have a chance to protest, he was already moving and she seemed to just naturally follow his movements. She laughed loudly as he spun her around the library.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They danced exuberantly to the faint music that just barely reached down to the library for a while, before George pulled her back in close and they began swaying back and forth leisurely. Eve smiled gently as she looked up at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You clean up nice,” she said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George feigned a shocked expression, his hand dramatically flying to his chest. “Was that a </span>
  <em>
    <span>compliment</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve narrowed her eyes at him, but there was still a hint of a smile on her lips. “Don’t push your luck, Weasley.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, but darling, that’s what I do best,” George said smugly, his hand tilting her chin up slightly. “You are so beautiful.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve’s eyes widened ever so slightly, as if this was surprising to hear for some reason. George couldn’t imagine why. She had to know how utterly stunning she was, right? How could she not. She didn’t say anything, but reached up slightly until their lips met in a gentle, but passionate kiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mr. Weasley.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The suddenness of the voice made Eve jump slightly, and she pushed herself out of George’s arms, much to his distaste. They both looked towards the entrance of the library to find Professor Snape stalking towards them, his gaze on George the entire time. He looked annoyed, though George was pretty sure that was just the way his face was. He stopped just a few feet short of them and finally glanced over at Eve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And Miss De Luca,” he added. George thought his tone sounded a little odd as he addressed Eve, but he wasn’t about to try and decipher the inner workings of Snape’s mind. “10 points from Gryffindor and Slytherin. I suggest you get back to the ball before I decide to add detention to that as well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve immediately started walking out of the library and George followed quickly behind her, trying to stifle a laugh. That would definitely earn him at least a week’s worth of detention, he was sure. They had just about reached the door when Snape’s voice made them stop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miss De Luca.” Eve turned to look back at him, George following her lead. Snape’s expression seemed less annoyed than usual, but his voice was stern when he spoke. “That is the second time I have had to take points from my own house because of you. Do not make it a habit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George looked over at Eve curiously, but her gaze was still trained on Snape. There was an uncomfortably long pause and George kept glancing back and forth between the two, trying to understand what was happening. Suddenly, Eve smiled brightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t dream of it, Professor,” she said, her tone mostly serious, but George could have sworn there was a hint of playfulness in it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve quickly turned on her heels, and nearly ran out of the library, George following closely behind her. As soon as they were out of ear shot, Eve looked at George with an amused expression and he couldn’t contain his laughter anymore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Second time, eh? What a rebel,” George teased, grabbing Eve by her waist and pulling her close. She threw her head back in laughter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know me,” she said with a smug smirk. “You really should get back to your date now, you know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George frowned slightly, but nodded his head in agreement. “You know,” he started slowly, carefully thinking about how to word what he wanted to say. “I won’t ask what that was about, but … just a suggestion, fire spells are fun and well, but don’t have much use other than staying warm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I don’t know anyone who can’t put out a fire spell, we learned that in like our first year of charms.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve’s eyes went wide. “George, you’re a genius!” she exclaimed, reaching up to meet his lips in a quick kiss before running off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George was left standing in the open, staring down the corridor she had just disappeared down, feeling a little confused but satisfied nevertheless, unable to keep the smile off his face. He watched the empty corridor for a few more moments, before deciding it was time to head back to the ball.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned to head back, but stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of his brother leaning up against the wall, arms crossed and a knowing smile on his smug face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Damn.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Busted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Start talking, Georgie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, Freddie, I’d love to, but I best be getting back to my date, don’t ya think?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George went to walk past Fred, towards the ball, but Fred stopped him with a hand on his chest and a booming laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“George,” Fred started, still chuckling slightly. “Jane left </span>
  <em>
    <span>ages </span>
  </em>
  <span>ago, mate. Actually, pretty much everyone’s gone to bed. I think our sister and Neville are the only ones left at this point.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” George said dumbly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He really hadn’t thought he had been gone so long, but he must have spent more time with Eve than he realized. He hoped Jane was able to enjoy the rest of the evening without him, and he made a mental note to apologize the next time he saw her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Fred mocked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred started down a corridor, headed towards the Gryffindor common room, and George followed him silently. He was half panicked, half relieved. He hated lying to Fred, and he wasn’t much good at it anyway, so it was a bit of a relief to have been found out, but he also knew Eve didn’t want anyone to know about them yet, though he still didn’t know why, so he had no idea to explain any of this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So that’s what you’ve been hiding from me?” Fred started, breaking the silence. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Malfoy’s cousin</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The clear distaste in his brother’s tone made George frown. “She’s nothing like him,” he defended without hesitation, his voice a little harsher than he had intended, but Fred just laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is it serious?” he inquired, playfully nudging into his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George rolled his eyes, but didn’t answer right away, taking a moment to consider the question. He quickly realized he wasn’t quite sure. They had definitely come a long way from snogging in closets, but she was still so guarded around him and they had yet to really discuss what they are.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure,” George admitted with a sigh. “Honestly, she’s so hard to read. Every time I think I have her figured out, she does something I never saw coming, and I’m back to square one. I can never tell what she’s thinking and it’s not like she ever tells me, so hell if I know. I swear, she drives me absolutely mad, Fred.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred was quiet for a moment, and when he finally spoke, all hints of humor were gone from his tone. “You really fancy her, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George hadn’t really considered that before. In fact, he actively avoided the thought and was almost a little annoyed that Fred brought it up. George hadn’t wanted to admit his feelings, even to himself, without first knowing where he really stood with Eve. But denying it didn’t make it any less true.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His feelings were clear, even to Fred. Tonight was more than enough proof of that. He really did fancy her, probably more than he should, and while he certainly hoped she felt the same, it wouldn’t change how he felt even if she didn’t. She, at the very least, seemed to enjoy spending time with him and that was enough. At least, for now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, Freddie, I think I do,” George finally replied with a small smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred returned his smile for a moment, before frowning. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” he groaned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She asked me not to,” George said, chuckling quietly at the memory. It really was really more of a threat, but same thing, right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How come?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George scowled at the question. Of course Fred would ask that, leave it to him to bring up the one thing George was really hoping to avoid in this conversation. He wanted to know, he really did, but he hadn’t quite worked up the courage to ask her why. He had many theories at this point, each one worse than the next, and they all involved some form of her being ashamed of being with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If that was the case, he definitely wasn’t ready to face it just yet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred laughed suddenly. “That bad?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George sighed and gave his brother a sheepish smile. “I’m afraid to ask.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred laughed and George joined. Even he could admit the pure ridiculousness of the situation was a little funny. If the roles had been reversed, he would’ve been giving Fred hell for it, that’s for sure. He was grateful that Fred seemed to be taking it pretty easy on him, more or less. Though the fact that he was made George a little nervous, knowing the only reason Fred would do that is if he knew it was serious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow Fred seemed more confident about this whole thing that he did himself. But then again, Fred hadn’t seen how closed off Eve was. If he had, surely he wouldn’t be this confident.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait!” Fred cried suddenly, stopping in his tracks. George turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. Fred stood still for a moment, looking deep in thought, before finally meeting George’s gaze. “This all started because of that kiss, didn’t it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George couldn’t help the loud chortle that came out of him, his whole body shaking with laughter. “You’re seriously </span>
  <em>
    <span>just now</span>
  </em>
  <span> getting that?” Fred rolled his eyes, punching George in the arm as they resumed walking. “I don’t know, I just couldn’t stop thinking about it after that and I had to know if she was, too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course she was,” Fred said with a wink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George chuckled, shaking his head. “At first, that’s really all we were doing, just sneaking around to snog in whatever empty room or closet we could find.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But then I asked her to the ball, which you already know she shot down. So I started dodging her after that, until she confronted me. Apparently girls don’t like being ignored.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, what?” Fred asked with feigned surprise and they both laughed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, who knew. So, anyway, then I told her to meet me at the Quidditch field. Snuck out at night, after everyone had gone to bed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred’s hand flew to his chest with a sharp inhale and he looked at George with hurt eyes. “You snuck out </span>
  <em>
    <span>without me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he whined. George rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored his brother’s joking comment as Fred chuckled. “So how was that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good, we sat and chatted for a bit. Then I found out she’s afraid of flying.” Fred looked genuinely shocked and George couldn’t help but laugh. “That was my reaction, too! So, naturally, I made her go flying with me,” he said nonchalantly, making Fred laugh. “She really wasn’t kidding, at first she was holding on so tight I could hardly breathe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So since then, it’s been less ‘snogging in closets’ and more ‘secret romance,’ eh?” Fred asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>what </span>
  </em>
  <span>it is. Like I said, she’s really closed off. I don’t think she trusts me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, she doesn’t trust much of anyone from what I hear.” George raised a curious eyebrow at his brother. “Lee was saying Paul was talking about her the other day, finds her quite odd, I suppose. Says she doesn’t really mingle with anyone, just sort of follows Malfoy around everywhere.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” George responds thoughtfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was another mystery he still hadn’t solved. Eve and the Malfoys. It still seemed like such an odd match to him, especially with how close her and Draco seemed to be. Close enough that he told her about George being on the Quidditch team. George wondered briefly if she had told him about them, but quickly dismissed it as it seemed rather unlikely considering she was the one who didn’t want anyone to know.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s odd, isn’t it?” George started, looking over at Fred. “Granted there’s still a lot I don’t know about her, but from everything I’ve seen, Eve is nothing like the Malfoys, but she </span>
  <em>
    <span>does</span>
  </em>
  <span> seem to be quite close with Draco.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have you asked her about it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George shook his head no. “Honestly, I usually try to avoid the subject altogether when I’m with her.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred laughed, patting George on the back. “Probably for the best, mate.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When they got back to their dorm room, Fred knocked out almost as soon as he had laid down, but George was left awake with his thoughts. He laid in bed pondering Eve’s relationship with Malfoy, replaying every interaction he had seen the two share. While he was curious about the rest of the Malfoys as well, he had nothing to go off of for that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt like hours had passed before George finally made up his mind. With his resolve settling in, he could finally relax enough to get some sleep. He would definitely need his rest for tomorrow. George drifted off to sleep that night, determined to finally ask Eve about her relationship with Malfoy and his family.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Clever Disguise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Breakfast at the Great Hall the next morning was an unusually extravagant feast and full of excited students receiving a plethora of Christmas gifts from home. George’s mum had sent him and Fred matching knitted sweaters, a staple gift in the Weasley family, but George hardly paid them any mind and was instead focused on the Slytherin table across the hall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve was in her usual spot next to Malfoy. She had a couple of gifts sitting in front of her, but seemed to be paying about as much attention to them as George was to his. Her focus was on Malfoy and his obnoxiously large pile of gifts. He was smiling brightly, chatting and even sharing laughs with Eve as they looked through his various gifts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was the first time it really hit George that Eve and Malfoy’s relationship was not only genuine, but mutual as well. Malfoy really did seem like a different person when Eve was around him, more interested in enjoying his time with her rather than his usual mission of trying to make everyone around him miserable. It really was an odd sight to see after all these years of knowing the annoying git.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he watched their interactions, George felt like it looked oddly familiar. For a moment, George saw himself and Ron flash before his eyes and wondered if that was how Eve saw Malfoy, like a little brother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George spent all of breakfast distracted, watching Eve and Malfoy intently, trying to make sense of it all. He was only vaguely aware of Lee and Fred’s conversation beside him. Luckily, now that Fred knew the truth, he didn’t seem to have any interest in trying to include George in the conversation and let him ponder in peace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The anticipation of the coming conversation was overwhelming, so the moment Eve stood from her seat, George was on his feet as well, ready to chase after her. She headed out of the Great Hall, and George didn’t hesitate to follow after her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll catch up with you guys later,” he muttered as he started walking away, not bothering to come up with an excuse this time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He vaguely heard an excited “have fun!” from Fred and a confused “what?” from Lee, but he paid them no mind. As he left the Great Hall, he saw Eve walking down one of the empty corridors.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie!” George called out as he jogged to catch up to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve turned around with a cheerful smile on her lips. The halls were ice cold with the winter air, but her smile was enough to warm George to his core. She stood and waited for him to catch up before continuing down the hall with him at her side. George noticed a small box in her hands, with what he assumed would be her Christmas gifts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Happy Christmas.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Happy Christmas,” George repeated with a smile, before peering curiously into the box she was carrying, wondering if her gifts might give him some insight to her relationship with Malfoy’s parents. “Get anything good?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mostly just sweets,” she replied, seeming to be genuinely satisfied with her gifts. She held out a licorice wand, making George’s eyes light up. “Want some?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead of grabbing the candy from her, George leaned down and took a big bite off the wand with an exaggerated snarl, making Eve laugh loudly. George flashed her a goofy grin and she followed suit, taking a bite as well with her own attempt at a similar snarl. Her soft voice couldn’t quite manage the same power his deep voice had, but he found it absolutely adorable hearing her try.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fan of sweets, are we?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, honestly, I could </span>
  <em>
    <span>live</span>
  </em>
  <span> off them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George smiled proudly, draping his arm around her shoulder. “My kind of girl.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George hadn’t been paying much attention to where they were headed, but he suddenly realized they were almost at the courtyard. He stopped suddenly, giving Eve a curious look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where are we going?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Outside,” Eve said offhandedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why? It’s freezing out,” George grumbled, making Eve laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It never snowed where I lived, I want to take full advantage of it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t snow in Italy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Only in the north.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While he wasn’t particularly excited about the prospect of sitting out in the snow for a chat, Eve’s apparent excitement was reason enough and they headed out to the courtyard. They found their way to a little covered bench, allowing them to at least stay dry. Eve placed the box beside her as her and George sat together, side by side. She seemed fascinated by the snow, watching it happily while George debated how to broach the subject.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few moments of silently debating, George finally spoke up. “Can I ask you something?” Eve turned her gaze back to him and he thought she looked a bit apprehensive, but she nodded anyway. “It’s about Malfoy. Draco, I mean.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I figured that was coming eventually,” Eve said quietly, a small smile on her lips as she turned back towards the snow. She was quiet for a moment, before she turned back to look at George. “He’s not a bad kid, you know. He’s just … misguided. The only real influence he’s had in his life is his parents and … well, you’ve met my uncle.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George scoffed lightly, before clearing his throat. “Yeah, I’ve met him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was another pause, a moment of silence settling between them. Oddly enough, George didn’t feel awkward in this silence, it never felt that way with Eve. It was like they were both comfortable giving each other a moment to collect their thoughts. Which is exactly what George was trying to do. From the sounds of it, she wasn’t a huge fan of Mr. Malfoy, but that still left the question of Draco.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You and Draco seem close.” It wasn’t a question, just an observation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve smiled, looking back towards the snow. “I never saw him and his family much growing up. Once every couple years we’d go visit for a day or two, but that was about it. But for some reason, Draco and I always kept in touch. I think he wrote me a letter every single day during his first year here,” she said with a light chuckle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George watches her closely as she pauses, appearing to be a bit lost in thought. Her gaze was still fixated on the silently falling snow, but it seemed as though she wasn’t seeing it anymore. She was looking past it, perhaps seeing memories of her childhood. George waited patiently for her to speak again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Neither of us had any siblings, I think maybe we just sort of bonded over that. I guess … part of me feels guilty, I suppose.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guilty about what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know, I just …” Eve took a deep breath, fidgeting with her hands, still not meeting George’s gaze. “I can’t help but wonder where he’d be if we </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> siblings or if I had been around more or </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I mean, he sort of got the shit end of the stick as far as parents go, and I couldn’t have been luckier with mine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George’s head perked up slightly. “I’ve never heard you talk about your parents.” He saw the corner of Eve’s mouth turn up slightly in a small smile, but she didn’t respond. “Since you were living with the Malfoy’s, I just assumed…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That they were dead?” Eve said, a hint of playfulness in her voice, as she turned to look at George. Her lips were curled up into a small smile, but George noticed it didn’t quite reach her eyes. The smile faded quickly as she turned back to the snow. “They died back in March.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George wasn’t entirely sure what to say. In fact, he was quite certain there really was nothing to say. So he chose to say nothing and simply wait. He was expecting maybe a heartfelt story and definitely some tears, so he was completely caught off guard when Eve suddenly laughed loudly. George stared at her confused, but she didn't look over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” George asked curiously, furrowing his brows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was just thinking…” Eve turned to look at George with a playful smile. “My father would’ve adored you. You and your brother.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George couldn’t help the smug smile that took over his lips, a sense of pride welling up in him. “Is that so?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Absolutely,” she replied with a giggle. “He never did quite grow up. My mother always used to say that I was her second child and he was her first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Were you two close?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yeah. My father was my best friend. We were always getting into trouble together. Honestly, it’s a miracle my mother was able to put up with us. We used to play all these silly games and mother hated every single one of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The summer after my first year at Estellacadre, my father told me he had hid one alarm clock for each day that I was gone. They were scattered all over the house, some in easy spots like out in the open on counters and things, others a little more hidden in cupboards and whatnot, but some were nearly impossible, like under floorboards or in the walls. And they were all set to go off at random times and each one had a unique sound. Naturally, I couldn’t find them all, so all summer we’d hear random screeching or shouting or beeping throughout the house at all different times of day and night. Drove my mother absolutely mad, poor thing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George laughed along with Eve as she told her story. He couldn’t help but notice this was, by far, the most relaxed and cheerful he had ever seen her. He wished more than anything he could change things for her, bring back the people she was clearly closest to, and maybe even have the honor of meeting them himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My parents absolutely adored each other, though. She was never able to stay mad at him for long. My father’s the one who got me into muggle novels, actually.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George chuckled lightly at that one, wondering what her father would think of the types of muggle novels she reads now. He might regret having gotten her into them. George thought of his own father and his obsession with muggles and wondered if her father was the same.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Was your father obsessed with muggles, too?” he asked playfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually…” Eve started, but her voice quickly trailed off as she looked back to the snow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George’s smile faded as he noticed her sudden change in mood. She shifted uncomfortably next to him and took a deep breath before looking back to him. She opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but then she hesitated, biting down on her lower lip. It looked almost like she was trying to gauge how he would respond before she spoke. After another deep breath, she finally spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My father </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a muggle.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The shock was clear on George’s face and Eve flinched away from it, looking back to the snow. George’s heart dropped when he realized why. She mistook his surprise for disdain. He quickly regained his composure and reached out, taking her hand into his. He waited until she turned to look at him, her expression tense.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” George said quietly, stroking her hand. “It doesn’t matter, really. I guess I just assumed you were pureblood because of how the Malfoys are.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They don’t know.” George raised an eyebrow. “My mother never told them, they never even met my father. Every time we would visit, she’d make up some excuse for why he couldn’t come. She never really fit in with the family much to begin with, but she always tried to blend in the best she could when she was around them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her words settled in and George finally had the answer to the question he had been too afraid to ask.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why you don’t want anyone to know about me, isn’t it? You’re trying to blend in.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve smiled lightly and nodded. “It’s not that I care what my aunt and uncle think of me, I don’t. It’s just … well, it’s not like I really have anywhere else to go, at least not until I’m done with school. I’m just trying to make my time with them as easy as possible.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A feeling of relief swept over George. He certainly wished she felt differently, but he was happy to know that it isn’t about shame. She’s not ashamed of him, she just doesn’t want to out herself as the black sheep of the family while she’s living with them. Which seemed fair enough to George.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess I can understand that… For now,” George said with a smirk. Eve rolled her eyes, playfully nudging her shoulder into his as he laughed. “Kidding, Evie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mostly, anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As always, there was a slight hitch in her breath at the sound of George’s nickname for her, her eyes widening ever so slightly. Now seemed like a perfect time to solve that mystery as well. George opened his mouth to ask her about it, but she beat him to the punch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why do you call me that?” she asked quietly, her stare so intense that George wondered if she was trying to read his mind for the answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dunno,” George muttered with a shrug. “Just feels right, I suppose. Do you not like it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I do,” Eve said so quickly it made him smile. “It’s just…” She paused, glancing at the snow for a moment before looking back at George. “The only other person who’s ever called me that was my father.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That certainly explains her reaction. George cupped her cheek, pulling her in for a gentle kiss. Eve smiled warmly at him when they pulled apart before nuzzling her head on his shoulder. George wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in close, and they sat together, watching the silent snow falling for what seemed like hours.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Good Business</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The second task of the tournament had arrived and as the students headed down to the lake, George was carrying a box of money as he and his brother called for more bets. This tournament had been wonderful for their business as they took full advantage of students wanting to gamble on their favorite champions. While Krum had seemed to be the favorite of the first tournament, the majority of people were placing their bets on Fleur today.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George and Fred made their way through the crowd, like salmon swimming upstream, fully focused. The two of them didn’t take much in life seriously, but their business ventures were an exception, even if it was just being bookies for the day. They were yelling out for bets, doing what they could to draw more people in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even in the midst of the crowd, Eve stood out to George as he saw her coming down the hill towards him, her eyes locked with his. As she got closer, he noticed the sly smirk on her face and wondered what she was doing. When it became clear she was headed straight towards them, George shot his brother a quick, warning glance. He never told Eve that Fred knew, unsure of how she would react to the news, and wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to do anything to give it away now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure that’s against the rules,” she said as she approached George and his brother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it definitely is,” Fred replied with a wide grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even as Fred spoke, Eve’s eyes stayed trained on George. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a handful of coins, and handing them to Fred.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Put it on whoever you want.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And just as quickly as she had come, she was gone, flashing George one last smirk before following the rest of the students down to the lake. Fred turned to George as soon as she was gone, wiggling his eyebrows at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I’m going to like her,” Fred said as he put the money in the box George was carrying. “Who are you going to bet this on?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whoever wins,” George admitted with a shrug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred frowned. “That’s not very good business, Georgie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is for me,” George said proudly, winking suggestively at his brother before continuing his trek uphill. He could hear Fred’s roaring laughter following after him, quickly followed by calls for more bets as they both slipped back into business mode.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>George and his brother were the last to reach the stands set up on the lake. They had to wiggle their way through everyone to find a spot by the railings. Much to George’s surprise, Eve was only a couple people away from them. She was standing next to Malfoy at the rails, Crabbe and Goyle leaned up against the stairs behind them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve seemed to notice him not long after he had noticed her, and flashed him a quick smile before turning her attention back to her conversation with Malfoy. George closed his eyes for a moment, straining to see if he could make out any of what they were saying. They hadn’t talked about Malfoy much since their first conversation about him, and George was still curious about their relationship.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George himself hadn’t had too many interactions with Malfoy, so he couldn’t even begin to imagine what they would be talking about, and it seemed it was just simply too loud to make out any of it. He quickly gave up and tried to keep his focus on the tournament instead. With a short speech from Dumbledor and a fire of the canon, the champions were off, diving into what must have been very cold water.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t seem like long before Fleur had already resurfaced, without her “treasure” in tow. She was quickly helped up onto the platform and wrapped in towels and blankets to try and warm her up. Even from where George stood, he could see the disappointment on her face. She was also the favorite for this task, so a lot of people were about to be out a good chunk of money.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The Beauxbatons champion, Miss Delacour, has unfortunately been forced to retire,” Dumbledor announced. “So she will take no further part in this task.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You could hear the grumble of disappointed students immediately following Dumbledor’s announcement. A few minutes later, Cedric resurfaced with Cho, followed quickly by Krum with Hermione in tow, but Dumbledor made no announcements of their arrival right away. George watched the water closely, expecting Harry to appear next. He was admittedly a little surprised when his little brother surfaced instead with Fleur’s little sister.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were both helped on to the platform, Fleur seeming overjoyed to have her sister back, but the noise quickly settled and was replaced with an uneasy quiet as everyone watched the water. Harry certainly knew how to make an entrance. He came flying out of the water at full speed and landed on the deck with a loud thump that George could hear even from where he stood and the quiet was quickly replaced by loud cheers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Attention!” Dumbledor roared a few moments later, using his wand to make his voice loud enough for everyone gathered to hear. “The winner is … Mr. Digory!” Cheers erupted, people calling out his name. “Who showed innate command of the Bubble-Head Charm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“However, seeing as Mr. Potter would have finished first, had it been for his determination to rescue not only Mr. Weasley, but the others as well, we’ve agreed to award him second place for outstanding moral fiber.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cheers for Harry were speckled with a few “boos” from those who were rooting for Krum. George couldn’t help but glance over at Eve, who seemed happy to see Harry succeed despite Malfoy’s clear distaste with it. The kid next to Malfoy, who George could not for the life of him remember his name, earned himself a smack on the head from Malfoy as he cheered for Harry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the quick smack to the back of the kids head, Malfoy was off, headed to the lower levels of the tower and Eve quickly followed behind him. George knew he would probably have to wait until they were all back to shore before giving her her winnings.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George and Fred took a boat back with their brother and Harry, giving their congratulations and some teasing about moral fiber. They were lucky enough to have not been too far from Eve and as George spotted them headed up to the castle, he turned to his brother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go on, mate, we’ll catch up,” George said with a smile, motioning for Ron to continue on without them. Ron turned towards his brothers, looking between them with a bewildered expression.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>go on</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Fred added, shooing Ron with his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever,” Ron muttered as he turned back around and headed up the hill on his own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once Ron was a good enough distance away, George hurried after Eve, Fred following closely behind him. It didn’t take long to catch up with them and both Eve and Malfoy turned as they heard their approach. Malfoy looked completely confused and maybe a little disgusted by them, but Eve looked terrified. She stared at George with wide eyes, probably worried he was about to do something incredibly dumb. George couldn’t help but smile at her lack of faith in him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George grabbed out her winnings, or rather, the winnings of someone who had bet on Cedric, anyway, and held out the coins to her. She opened her hand almost instinctively it seemed, and George dropped the coins into it, making sure his skin brushed against hers as he did. He could see the hint of redness in her cheeks just at his simple touch and his smile grew into more of a smirk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your winnings,” he said casually.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For betting on Digory,” Fred added with a hint of playfulness in his voice, and George gave him a quick warning glance that hopefully no one else noticed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Malfoy turned to Eve, one eyebrow quirked up at her and a slight sneer on his lips. “You bet on Digory?” he asked, confusion clear in his tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve suddenly looked very guilty as she gave Malfoy a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her head for a moment. “Uh, well,” she started slowly. “Technically, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>bet on Digory.” George immediately understood, and did his best to stay quiet, but Malfoy still looked quite confused, so Eve clarified further. “I may have </span>
  <em>
    <span>borrowed</span>
  </em>
  <span> some money from one of your robes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred was quick to cover his humor with a cough, but George couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips. Malfoy shot him the best death glare he could muster, which really just made George want to laugh even more, but he kept his composure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut it, Weasley,” Malfoy spat before turning back to Eve. He snatched the coins from her hands quite aggressively. “Give me that!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Malfoy stormed off, stomping loudly up the hill. George and Fred laughed in unison as soon as Malfoy was out of earshot. Eve flashed George a playful smirk and a quick wink before she turned and sprinted after Malfoy, catching up to him quickly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> like her,” Fred said, clapping his hand on George’s shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too, Freddie, me too.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Puzzle Pieces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Fred, I don’t think this is a good idea,” George pleaded, following closely behind his brother who was strutting confidently down the corridor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As expected, Fred completely ignored him, his eyes set determinedly on his target. George groaned, knowing damn well there was no stopping Fred once he set his mind to something. He just wished it wasn’t at his expense. He couldn’t stop the butterflies mucking around in the pit of his stomach at the anticipation of what was about to happen when Eve came into their view.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without any hesitation, Fred waltzed right up to her, throwing his arm around her shoulder. Eve jumped slightly at his touch, her face full of surprise as she looked at Fred. He was smiling widely at her while George walked timidly on Eve’s other side, keeping a little more distance between them than he normally would.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Heya, Eve,” Fred said cheerfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hi…?” Eve replied as if it was more of a question rather than a greeting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I figured you and I should get to know each other a bit better.” Fred leaned closer, and whispered into Eve’s ear. “You know, since you’re secretly dating my brother and all.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes widened at first, then narrowed as her head whipped to the other side to look at George. Before he could defend himself, Eve’s book came flying towards him, hitting him hard square in his chest. Hard enough that he winced slightly, making Fred laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You told him!” Eve yelped accusingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George rubbed his chest, pouting slightly. “I didn’t tell him, he saw us! That’s hardly my fault,” he whined.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve scoffed loudly, still looking furious. George knew this was a bad idea and had spent all morning trying to talk Fred out of it, to no avail, obviously. Eve opened her mouth to speak again and George braced himself for the fury that was surely about to come, but another voice interrupted them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Miss De Luca,” Snape called from a little ways down the corridor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve’s entire demeanor changed in an instance at the sound of her name. She stared at Snape for a moment, before muttering a quiet “one sec” to George and his brother. She shrugged Fred’s arm off of her and walked over to Snape. Fred gave George a curious look, but George simply shrugged, having no better idea of what was happening than his brother did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George watched closely as Eve and Snape spoke for a moment, in voices much too quiet for him to hear. The conversation seemed eerily serious. Granted, George can’t remember ever seeing Snape be casual, but he knew Eve well enough now to know she was unusually serious as she spoke with her professor. Snape appeared to be handing something to Eve, a slip of paper George thought, and he left her standing alone staring at it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nothing happened for a moment, and when it became clear Eve wasn’t going to walk back over to them, George headed her way, Fred following behind him. Even as he reached her, standing only a few inches from her, she didn’t seem to notice him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Evie?” George said, placing a hand on her shoulder gently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve turned to look at him, her expression completely blank. Which only made George worry more, as a blank expression from Evie was usually a sure sign something was wrong, a sign that she was likely hiding something. Eve’s eyes dart over to Fred for a split second, as if she’s debating if she can trust him or not. Which, of course she could, but George still wasn’t sure she even trusted him fully, so he understood her hesitation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before George could qualm her fears, she spoke. “Not here,” she said quietly, glancing around at the other students crowding the corridors. “Come on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without waiting for a response, Eve was on the move, George and Fred following closely behind. She took a few turns until they found a quiet, empty corridor where she stopped suddenly, turning back around to face George and his brother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s about my parents.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your parents?” Fred asked, glancing over at George for answers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George had told Fred all about his conversation with Eve, about the Malfoys and her parents’ deaths. Though, she really hadn’t told him much, just that they had died not too long ago, so George was just as lost as he was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They died in a house fire,” she started, her voice quiet. The moment those words left her mouth, things started falling into place in George’s head. “And the muggles, they couldn’t find a source of the fire, so I’ve been trying to figure it out on my own.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s why you had me looking through all that burnt stuff.” Apparently George wasn’t the only one starting to connect the dots.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And why we were looking for fire spells,” George added.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve nodded curtly. “But you said something to me that night and I switched gears.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The conversations from that night started replaying in his head, going over everything he said to her that night, but he couldn’t figure out what she was referring to. George gave Eve a puzzled look, waiting for her to explain. She gave him a small smile like the one she gave the last time they had spoken about her parents, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes and gave away just how hard this all must have been on her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George couldn’t help the twing of pain in his chest realizing she’s been facing all of this alone for so long. It was enough to break anyone and as much as he admired her strength, he was determined to make sure she knew she no longer had to be alone in this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You said fire spells aren’t very useful because they’re easy to put out, easy to counter. And you’re right, muggles die in fires all the time, so maybe if it was just my father, that would make sense-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred shot George a surprised look and George realized he had left out the part about Eve’s father being a muggle when telling Fred about their conversation. It hadn’t been entirely intentional, he had honestly almost forgotten about it. It wasn’t important to him, it made no difference to him whether she was pure blood, half blood, or muggle-born and he knew it would make no difference to the rest of his family, either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-but it wasn’t just him, my mother was there, too, and that makes </span>
  <em>
    <span>no </span>
  </em>
  <span>sense. Because why wouldn’t she have just put the fire out, or apparated them both out of there, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span>, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, that certainly explains the genius comment. George had unknowingly helped Eve consider something she hadn’t thought of yet. Which is exactly why she shouldn’t have been doing this alone in the first place, it’s easy to become hyper-focused on what you think is happening that you forget to consider other possibilities. He was happy Eve was finally letting him in on this, hopefully he could be of even more help from now on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, I switched gears,” Eve continued. “and started trying to figure out why she didn’t do anything and the only thing I could think of was that she </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve was staring at George and his brother expectantly, but neither said anything as they shared a quick, confused glance. When it became clear they couldn’t quite guess where her head was at, she rolled her eyes at them before continuing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” she said with an exasperated sigh. “I started looking into spells that would incapacitate someone, especially ones involving fire or heat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you found…?” Fred prompted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Eve said with a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing?” George repeated dumbly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not a thing. Which is why I started asking the professors. I tried Mad Eye first, but he just brushed me off, said he was too busy. Then I tried Flitwick, but he didn’t approve of me looking into dark magic.” Eve rolled her eyes as she recalled this, suggesting she found his disapproval ridiculous. “Same with McGonagall.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But Snape agreed?” George asked doubtfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, no. He shot me down, too. But then he gave me this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve handed George the slip of parchment he had seen Snape give to her. Scrawled across the parchment in messy handwriting read “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Tenebris Flamma</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” which George assumed was an incantation for a spell, though he had never heard of it. He passed the paper to Fred, whose expression said it didn’t ring any bells for him, either.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve never heard of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me neither,” Fred added, handing the paper back to Eve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, me neither.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve sighed as she stared down at the paper, clearly frustrated. It appeared she had hit another wall in her little investigation. George glanced over at his brother and without saying a word, they had a quick conversation. Neither of them were going to stand for such negativity, even if it meant spending their Saturday buried in books.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go find it then,” he said, giving Eve a big grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve’s eyes widened slightly, as if she was surprised by Fred’s willingness to help. Which was silly, of course, but exactly how George figured she’d react. Eve looked to George next and he gave her a reassuring smile that seemed to ease her anxieties.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>George rubbed his eyes, trying to clear up the words in the book he was reading that were starting to become blurred. It didn’t help much. He wasn’t exactly sure how long they had been in the library, but judging by the fairly impressive stack of books they had accumulated, he figured it had to have been a few hours at least. While it really wasn’t George’s ideal way to spend his weekend, he was happy to help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though, it was getting increasingly difficult to stay motivated. He hadn’t even come close to finding anything and considering how quiet his brother and his girlfriend had been, he could only assume they hadn’t found anything yet, either. All the books were arranged by the name of the spell, not it’s incantation, making it especially difficult to locate something with the incantation alone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A loud groan, followed by a quiet thump pulled George away from the sentence he had now read five times and still didn’t comprehend. Eve was face down in an open book, her long hair sprawled messily across the desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is useless,” she grumbled, her voice slightly muffled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred sighed, closing the book he was reading and tossing it carelessly to the side. “I know I’m usually the optimist, but I’m starting to think Eve is right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why couldn’t Snape just have given you the name of the damn thing?” George complained, tossing his book aside as well. “It would’ve been so much easier than trying to hunt down an incantation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve popped up suddenly, her eyes wide. “That’s it!” And quick as lightning, Eve was on her feet and running. “Come on!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neither George nor Fred hesitated to jump up and run after her. He was quite grateful to be getting away from the books and he imagined Fred felt the same. As they were leaving, they flew past Hermione who called after them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey! You didn’t put your books away!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Slowing down to a walking pace, Fred turned around to face Hermione, still taking steps backwards away from her. “Ah, you can take care of that, eh?” he asked with a wicked grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Granger!” George added with a laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And they were gone before she could have a chance to protest.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Twin Mirrors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Throughout his time at Hogwarts, George and his brother had gotten to know the place pretty well. So, while finding the corridor Eve was leading them down familiar shouldn’t have been too unusual, he couldn’t for the life of him remember </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> it was familiar. It led down to a part of the castle that wasn’t used often, far away from any classrooms, common rooms, or anything at all, really. There weren't even any secret passageways over here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had clearly been down this way before, but for what reason, he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t until he stepped into the small room Eve had led them to that it finally hit him. The same small, storage closet that Eve had pulled him into months ago seemed much more cramped than he remembered now that there were three people standing in it. The quick glance Eve gave George over her shoulder said she was thinking about that day as well, and he couldn’t help the proud smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. They’ve certainly come a long way since.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once everyone was tucked inside, Eve used her wand to lock the door behind them. She pulled something from her robes that glistened slightly in the light, but George couldn’t quite tell what it was until she set it on the ground by her feet. It was a small, round mirror with an intricately designed frame that looked like wooden branches wrapping around it. She pointed her wand at it and muttered “</span>
  <em>
    <span>engorgio</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The mirror grew until it was a couple feet wide. Eve dropped down to the ground less than gracefully, sitting cross legged in front of the mirror. She looked up at George and his brother with a smile, motioning for them to join her. George plopped down on her right, Fred doing the same on the other side of her so they were all sitting in front of the mirror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is this?” George asked curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just a little something my friend and I made.” Eve paused, giving George a little smirk as if she just remembered something funny. “We call them twin mirrors, actually.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fred threw his head back in laughter and Eve’s head whipped around to look at him, giggling quietly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do see the irony in that, but in fairness, I didn’t know any twins back then,” she said with a shrug.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what exactly are we supposed to be doing with this </span>
  <em>
    <span>twin mirror</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Fred asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve didn’t respond, just flashed Fred a mischievous smile and turned her attention back to the mirror. Eve pulled out her wand, touching it softly to the mirror as she spoke quietly in Italian.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Anche in paradiso non è bello essere soli.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George and Fred shared a curious look, as the extent of their knowledge of the Italian language pretty much only included “ciao” and pasta. Whatever it was that she said, it had caused the mirror to shake slightly, the glass rippling like it was a liquid. This shaking only lasted a second or two, then there was a quiet pause, before it shook again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What did you say?” George whispered, his eyes fixated on the mesmerizing ripples.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It's just something my father used to say, a little Italian proverb. It means, ‘Even in paradise, it is not good to be alone.’”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George looked over at Eve who was smiling shyly at him, her hair covering her face slightly like she was trying to hide behind. For a quiet moment that felt much longer than it was, they just looked at each other, both smiling like idiots. In that moment, everything else faded away and he almost forgot they weren’t alone. Almost.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you lovebirds please save the sappy shit for when I’m not around,” Fred groaned, making a gagging motion with his finger.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve laughed loudly. “I think Freddie’s jealous, amore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George’s laugh caught in his throat at the sound of her last word. He definitely knew what that word meant. Love. He wasn’t entirely sure when he had earned that nickname, but he was proud he had. Before he could collect his thoughts to respond, a loud squeal pulled him back to reality.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George turned to look at the mirror to find it had stopped shaking and instead of his own reflection, he now saw a boy who looked to be about the same age as them, sitting cross legged. He had curly, dark brown hair that bounced around every time he moved and light brown eyes that looked almost golden in the warm glow of light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cara mio!” he exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly at his high pitch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tesoro,” she replied with a sultriness in her tone that made George tense slightly. “Non ci vediamo da tanto tempo.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Si,” he said, matching the sultriness in Eve’s tone. “È bello rivederti. Che si dice?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need your help.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George was grateful Eve switched the conversation back to a language he could understand, but he was also relieved to hear her tone become more serious. He trusted Eve completely, but he realized in that moment that he knows nothing of her life back in Italy. Was this guy she took such a sultry tone with an old flame? Or was he just being paranoid? He wasn’t sure, but he was sure that this wasn’t the time for that conversation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if he hadn’t heard Eve at all, the boy completely ignored her comment and leaned close to the mirror. His face was now covering most of the glass, giving them a zoomed in view of his big brown eyes, and George was almost certain the boy was staring directly at him. And he wasn’t sure how to respond. The boy smiled brightly and glanced over at Eve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this him?” he beamed excitedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Si, this is George,” Eve said with a smile as she gestured towards George. She turned and gestured to Fred next. “And his brother Fred. Boys, this is my friend Paolo.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oddio!” Paolo exclaimed, his hand flying dramatically to his chest as he looked between George and his brother a couple times. “You didn’t warn me there were two of them!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even George couldn’t help but laugh at that. He felt significantly more relaxed now that introductions were made. Eve had clearly told her friend about him, which is always a good sign with girls, right? And the fact that she introduced Paolo as a friend - and not an ex or something - definitely helped, too. Paolo placed his elbows on his knees, squishing his cheeks up as he rested his face on closed fists.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, tell me, Freddie, are you secretly dating someone as well, or are you still on the market as it were?” Paolo asked, his voice flirty as he quirked an eyebrow at Fred.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before Fred could have a chance to respond, Eve jumped in. “Can we </span>
  <em>
    <span>focus</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” she scoffed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Paolo grumbled, sitting up straight again. “It’s just been </span>
  <em>
    <span>so boring</span>
  </em>
  <span> since you’ve been gone, cara mio. No one does anything fun anymore! I swear, this right here is the most excitement I have had all year and -”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Focus</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Eve interrupted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, sorry! I’m focused, I’m focused.” Paolo took a deep breath with his eyes closed before gingerly folding his hands in his lap. “What can I do for you, cara mio?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Do you still have the incantation-organized book Mancini gave you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah, I think so.” Paolo leaned over out of frame and you could hear the sound of him rummaging around.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Incantation-organized book?” Fred repeated, raising an eyebrow at Eve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher gave Paolo a book that has a bunch of spells and curses arranged alphabetically by their incantation, rather than their name.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait,” George chimed in, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re telling me we just wasted our entire Saturday afternoon in the library while your friend has had this book the </span>
  <em>
    <span>entire time</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve smiled sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders. “I forgot.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Got it!” Paolo announced as he came back into frame holding a large book in his lap with worn out leather on the cover. “Give it to me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve pulled out the little slip of parchment with the spell on it and read it off to Paolo. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Tenebris Flamma</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Paolo’s head perked up suddenly. “I know that spell,” he muttered, looking off to the side thoughtfully. “Why do I know that spell?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a short pause before Paolo muttered something in Italian that George didn’t quite catched, and he disappeared from view completely. As soon as he was gone, Fred turned to Eve, pointing at the mirror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, so you guys made these yourselves?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Eve replied casually. “We wanted an easier way to keep in touch, so we made these before I left.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Too good to write letters?” George mused, nudging her shoulder playfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It hurts my hand,” she whined with a pout, making both boys laugh loudly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This is actually really impressive,” Fred muttered quietly, almost as if he was talking more to himself than Eve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George gave his brother, who seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, a curious look. Fred just waved him off, a gesture that usually meant George would find out later, when they had a chance to speak in private. With eerily good time, Paolo plopped back into view just after Fred’s gesture, this time with what looked like a well-used notebook in his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Paolo flipped through the pages quickly, George caught glimpses of what he thought were little doodles, sketches, and drawings, but with the speed that they appeared and then disappeared, he couldn’t be sure. It only took a few moments for Paolo to find what he was looking for, a page that seemed to be riddled with sloppy, unorganized notes. It looked a little out of order and jumbled to George, but considering he hardly ever took any notes at all - mostly on account of either not paying attention in class or perhaps just not showing up entirely, who was he to judge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I knew that sounded familiar, we learned about it earlier this year. The Curse of Dark Flames.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mancini taught you guys a curse?” she queried doubtfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not Mancini, Fantoni,” Paolo corrected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve shook her head slightly as if this information had caught her off-guard. “Why is the potions professor giving you guys a lesson on a curse?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t know,” Paolo answered with a shrug. “I thought it was weird, but honestly Fantoni always gives me the creeps, so I didn’t think much of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You should meet our potions professor,” Fred interjected with a smirk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Paolo snickered. “Why are potions professors always so weird?” he exclaimed loudly. “Is it like a requirement or something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Focus,” Eve reminded in a sing-song voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He started it,” Paolo mumbled with a pout. Fred snickered at this, earning him a quick glare from Eve. “Okay, listen. The curse of dark flames is a paralytic curse that can often have unpredictable effects. Black colored flames wrap around the body, tightly binding it’s victim. While the black flames do not cause any burns to those who come in contact with it, the heat can often cause nearby flammable materials to catch fire. Fires started from black flames burn hotter and quicker than a normal fire, making them difficult to control even with proper counterspells.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure?” Paolo asked. His voice was suddenly soft and calm, all traces of humor gone from his tone as he looked at Eve with sad eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Positive,” she confirmed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” he mused, closing his book. “That makes Fantoni’s lesson even more suspicious then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you know about him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing, really. But I’ll do some digging and let you know if I find anything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be careful, tesoro.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You too, cara mio. Ciao.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Paolo blew Eve a kiss, which she returned before he disappeared, the mirror now reflecting the three of them sitting together instead. With a wave of her wand, Eve had reduced the mirror back to its original size and stuffed it back in her robes as she rose to her feet. Fred and George followed suit, the three of them leaving the cramped space.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the hall, the three of them stood still and for a moment, no one spoke. George was trying to read Eve’s expression, but he wasn’t having much luck. He couldn’t tell if she was happy with the progress they made, or disappointed that they really didn’t get that much information. Perhaps a bit of both. George decided to speak up first, offering a mild condolence in case it was more of the latter than the former.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry we didn’t get more answers,” he said quietly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay. We know what it is now, and that’s something. Thank you for your help.” Eve turned to Fred, giving him a small smile. “Both of you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anytime,” Fred replied with a grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was still a lot on George’s mind, mostly about Paolo specifically, but her life before Hogwarts in general had his curiosity peaked. He gave Fred a look that George was sure would have been clear, but Fred looked confused by it. George stared intently, his eyes slightly wide as he quickly glanced over at Eve before looking back to Fred. It took a second, but George saw the moment the realization overcame his confused expression.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just going to go … uh … well … anywhere but here, honestly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George sighed, shaking his head as his brother flashed them both a humored grin before disappearing around the corner. Eve stared at him for a moment before she let out a quiet giggle, looking back over at George.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Smooth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George chuckled. “Where do you think I got all my moves?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve laughed loudly as they began walking down the corridors aimlessly. George debated how best to approach the questions he had, unsure of how she would react. While he knew she wasn’t the biggest fan of talking about her, it worked out pretty well the last time he had talked to her about the Malfoys and her parents. So, it shouldn’t be too bad, right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, Paolo seems cool,” George started, trying to keep his voice casual.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve looked over, quirking an eyebrow at him. “Why do I feel like there’s a question in there?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. So much for being casual. “I just … realized I don’t really know anything about your life back in Italy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, to be fair, you’ve never asked,” Eve said with a smirk. “So, ask away.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George paused for a moment, thinking about where he wanted to start. And of course, he wanted to start with Paolo. “How long have you known Paolo?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pretty much my whole life,” she replied with a shrug. “We met when we were four, and have been best friends ever since. See, my father wanted me to go to muggle school while I was young, just until I was old enough to go to Estellacadre, and Paolo is muggle-born, so naturally he went, too. So that’s where we met, at school.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s funny, though, because when he got his letter and found out he was a wizard, he couldn’t tell me and of course, I couldn’t tell him I was a witch, so we thought we were going our separate ways when we were eleven. We were a mess saying goodbye. Imagine our surprise when we showed up to Estellacadre and saw each other.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While George did laugh as Eve told her story, he was uncomfortably aware it didn’t really answer the one question he was most curious about. In fairness, he didn’t exactly ask it, yet. But it was nagging at him, he needed to know. So, with a deep breath, he decided to just be honest about what he really wanted to know.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” he started slowly. “Have you and Paolo always been </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> friends?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eve looked at him with furrowed brows for a moment, like she was trying to process what it meant. Then it hit her. Her eyes widen slightly with realization before narrowing at him, a wicked smirk on her lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, well, well,” she teased. “Who’s the jealous one now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up,” George mumbled, rolling his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Amore, Paolo is gay. I figured the whole ‘him hitting on your brother’ thing would’ve given that away.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” George replied dumbly. Now that he knew, it seemed fairly obvious, he had just been too caught up in his own feelings to notice. Though, that didn’t mean there weren’t others. “Well, surely you dated, right? I mean, like, your first boyfriend. Tell me about him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You wanna know about my first boyfriend?” she asked doubtfully. George swallowed nervously, but nodded with as much confidence as he could. He wasn’t sure how he’d feel hearing about it, but he wanted to know everything about her, everything she was willing to tell him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, he was a bit of an idiot to be honest and pretty annoying sometimes. But he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> tall, and that’s always a selling point. Funny, too. A fantastic kisser. And pretty cute, to be honest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George was trying his best just to maintain steady breathing. Hearing Eve compliment another guy was harder than he had expected. In fairness, when he had asked, he didn’t expect her to speak so positively of him. He almost felt a little angry with her, but he knew that anger was misplaced. She was just answering his question. If he didn’t want to know, he shouldn’t have asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He has these adorable little freckles all over, and this bright, bright, red hair that almost looks unnatural.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George furrowed his eyebrows, mulling over her words. It took him longer than he would like to admit to realize what was happening. He looked over at Eve, genuine surprise on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m your first boyfriend?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>While he probably should have been more appreciative of all the compliments she just gave him, especially considering how rare they are, he just couldn’t help his disbelief. How on earth someone so beautiful never had a boyfriend before was beyond him. Of course, he knew he was a bit biased, but Eve was beautiful by any standards, he was sure. Eve smiled at him, looking thoroughly amused by her own joke, and nodded her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George probably shouldn’t have, but he felt a sense of pride welling up in him. He was her first boyfriend. That was a big deal, right? After all, she was his first girlfriend, and it definitely was a big deal to him. That’s one of those things you just don’t forget, even if you don’t end up staying together. Though that was really the last thing George wanted to think about.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“None of those Italian men caught your fancy?” he asked as he wiggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was too busy for boys, to be honest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George scoffed. “Busy with what?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Detention, mostly,” she said casually with a shrug of her shoulders. George looked at her curiously. “Paolo and I may have had a bit of a reputation at school,” she explained, smirking at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>George just stared for a moment, earning him a confused “what” from Eve, before a smirk slowly crept up on his face at the thought of Eve and Paolo causing mayhem and mischief just like he and Fred do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just wondering how the hell I got so lucky.”</span>
</p>
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